Mountains and Water: Landscape Paintings from the Kanō School

Kanō Masanobu is credited with establishing the Kanō school as a professional workshop in Kyoto during the 15th century. Most renowned for his monochromatic landscapes, Masanobu also painted Buddhist deities and icons. Although Kanō ink paintings draw from Chan (Zen) Buddhism and the free and unrestrained brushwork seen in the Chinese ink-wash style, they also reveal a localized flair. By mid-16th century, the school began embracing native aesthetics known as yamato-e (Japanese painting) by integrating splendid colors and gold leaf.