Maruyama Shijo School

The joint name for the Maruyama and Shijo schools. In the history of painting in the Edo period, this school played a key role in the later period, in contrast to the Kano school, which was the central figure in the earlier period. The style that this school's founder, Maruyama Okyo, aimed for was a fusion of a well-balanced realistic depiction of the motif and an emotional composition of the space that contained the motif. However, it should be noted that before establishing this style, in addition to Okyo's own strong inclination toward realistic depiction, he also had a strong interest in and a proactive attitude toward absorbing art and academic culture both at home and abroad, such as studying Japanese paintings such as the Rinpa and Kano schools, and styles from each era in China from the Song and Yuan dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as the application of Western perspective through "spectacles paintings" that were introduced at the time, and knowledge of botany. Okyo, who showed such great diversity, attracted many disciples and formed a school known as the Maruyama school. Representative painters of this school include Okyo's son Ouzui, as well as Nagasawa Rosetsu, known as the Ten Philosophers of the Omon School, Komai Genki, Watanabe Nankaku, Mori Tetsuzan, Nishiyama Kusutei, Yamaguchi Soken, Yoshimura Takakei, Oku Bunmei, So Gessen, and Sanseki Kakurei.

Another notable painter is Matsumura Gekkei (Goshun). He was originally a senior disciple of literati painter Yosa Buson, but after his master's death he became a pupil of Okyo. He then fused the lyrical sensibility of literati painting with the precise depiction of form of the Maruyama school, producing many elegant and light-hearted works. Many pupils began to frequent Goshun's studio in Shijo, Kyoto, and he formed a new school of painting known as the Shijo school. His pupils included his younger brother Matsumura Keibun, Shibata Yoshitada and Okamoto Toyohiko. As Okyo's students increased in this way and each of them formed their own complex schools of painting, the original painting style that Okyo had pursued was not necessarily fully understood, and instead, the simplification of sketching and the decorativeness of space were promoted, and a style that suited the manners and tastes of Kyoto's town houses became established and widespread.

In the development of the Maruyama Shijo school, the following three types of students of Okyo can be typified. First, there was Nagasawa Rosetsu, who attempted to depart significantly from Okyo's style. Second, there was Maruyama Ozui, who tried to carry on Okyo's style by using the various copies of paintings left behind by Okyo. Third, there was Goshun, who added a clearer, more refined feel to Okyo's style, establishing a style that could be described as lyrical sketch painting. The Maruyama Shijo school was thus passed down with subtle changes to its painterly character, and became the foundation for the development of modern Japanese painting, but this longevity is also a major characteristic of this school.

[Reiko Tamamushi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

円山派と四条派の併称。江戸時代の絵画史において、その前期の中心的存在であった狩野(かのう)派に対して、後期にその役を担った画派。この画派の祖である円山応挙(おうきょ)が目ざした様式は、モチーフの均整のとれた写生的表現と、そのモチーフを包含する空間の余情的構成の融合であった。しかしこの様式の確立までには、応挙自身の写生的表現への強い志向のほかに、琳派(りんぱ)や狩野派のような日本の絵画や、中国の宋元(そうげん)より明清(みんしん)に至る各時代の様式の学習、また当時もたらされていた「眼鏡絵(めがねえ)」による西洋の透視遠近法の応用、さらに本草(ほんぞう)学的知識など、内外の美術や学問文化に対する強い関心と、その積極的な摂取の姿勢があったことに留意しなければならない。このように非常な多様性を示す応挙のもとには、数多くの弟子が集まり、円山派として一派をなした。応挙の息子の応瑞(おうずい)、また応門十哲と称される長沢蘆雪(ながさわろせつ)、駒井(こまい)源琦(げんき)、渡辺南岳(なんがく)、森徹山(てつざん)、西山楠亭(なんてい)、山口素絢(そけん)、吉村孝敬(こうけい)、奥文鳴、僧月僊(げっせん)、山跡鶴嶺らが、代表的画家である。

　そのほかに注目すべき画家として松村月渓(げっけい)（呉春(ごしゅん)）がいる。彼は初め文人画の与謝蕪村(よさぶそん)の高弟であったが、師の没後、応挙に入門した。そして文人画の叙情的感覚と円山派の精緻(せいち)なフォルム描写を融合させ、瀟洒(しょうしゃ)で軽妙な作品を数多く制作している。京都四条に画室を構えた呉春のもとにも多くの弟子が出入りするようになり、四条派という新たな画派を形成した。弟の松村景文(けいぶん)や柴田義董、岡本豊彦(とよひこ)らがその門人である。このように応挙の門人が増加し、またそれぞれに複雑な画派が成立するにつれ、応挙が追求した本来の絵画様式はかならずしも十分に理解されず、写生の平明化と空間の装飾化が推し進められ、京都の町屋の風尚と趣好にあった様式が定着・普及するようになった。

　以上の円山四条派の展開において、応挙の門人のタイプを次の3人に代表させることができる。第一に、応挙の様式から大きく離反することを試みた長沢蘆雪。第二に、応挙が残した各種の粉本により、その様式を継承することに努めた円山応瑞。第三に、応挙の様式にいっそうの清明感を加えることにより、叙情的写生画ともいうべき画風を打ち立てた呉春である。円山四条派はこうしてその絵画的性格を微妙に変化させつつ受け継がれ、近代日本画の展開の基礎となっていったが、このような命脈の長さもこの画派の大きな特色である。

［玉蟲玲子］

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