Explore the unique world woven by the astonishing painting skills and rich imagination of a Kano school prodigy who thrived from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era. Known for his caricatures, ghost and monster paintings, this artist also excelled in creating beautiful women, landscapes, warrior pictures, and animal paintings, with his hand-painted works gaining recent attention. This book, with an unusual series structure that includes four biographical chapters and three genre-specific chapters, aims to convey the skill and intrigue of the 'Kyosai style' that transcends traditional schools, providing a fulfilling read and view.

In the cultural confusion of the Meiji Restoration, the author empathizes with the painter's pride in maintaining the unchanged heart of Edo. The deep insight into 'Kyosai' offered in this book is unmatched by others, introducing the Kano school genius who inherited the artistic spirit of Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

About the Author:

Hiroshi Kano

Born in 1947 in Fukuoka Prefecture. Dropped out of the doctoral program at Kyushu University (specializing in modern Japanese art history). After working at the Kyoto National Museum (as Head of the Art Division and Director of the Kyoto Cultural Resources Center), he became a professor at Doshisha University's Faculty of Culture and Information Science. His expertise includes Momoyama painting, Ukiyo-e, and Edo painting, focusing on the Kano, Hasegawa, Rinpa, and 18th-century Kyoto painting schools (This information is as of the book's publication).