Itō Jakuchū

Itō Jakuchū, an 18th-century Japanese painter, transformed the art world with his vibrant, hyper-realistic depictions of chickens and other animals, often incorporating surprising modern techniques.

ABOUT

Born Itō Genzaemon in Kyoto in 1716, Itō Jakuchū was the eldest son of a grocer in the bustling Nishiki food district. From a young age, he displayed a profound talent for painting. While he may have briefly studied with the Kano school artist Ōoka Shunboku, Jakuchū largely forged his own path, developing a distinctive style rooted in meticulous observation. He would sketch the everyday — vegetables from his family's shop, fish from the market, and especially the chickens in…

Read Itō's full story in Art Whisper

NOTABLE WORKS

Shells 1700 · Museum of the Imperial Collections Golden Pheasants in Snow 1700 · Museum of the Imperial Collections Two Cranes 1725 · Metropolitan Museum of Art Crabs and Peonies 1749 · Metropolitan Museum of Art Chrysanthemums and Rock 1750 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art White Cockatoo on a Pine Branch 1750 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston

See all of Itō's works in Art Whisper

INFLUENCES

Influenced by

Influenced

Soga ShōhakuLineage of Eccentrics Nagasawa RosetsuLineage of Eccentrics Utagawa KuniyoshiLineage of Eccentrics