Landscape with Traveler on a Donkey

Tani Bunchō was a man of his era: a scholar and a versatile, even eclectic, painter whose diverse work reflects both the energy and opportunities of Japan’s late Edo period (1603–1868). Born into a samurai family in Edo (today Tokyo), he began to study painting in the orthodox Kanō school 狩野派, but later gravitated to a style based on Chinese literati painting, known in Japan as bunjinga 文人画 or nanga 南画, for which he became quite famous.

Originating much earlier among elite scholars in China but gaining popularity in Japan in the 18th century, bunjinga rejected showy technical skills and bright colors for simple, casual-seeming ink brushwork with an emphasis on self-expression. In this image we see an idealized China, with dramatic peaks, misty atmosphere, and a solitary figure. The overall effect is minimalist and understated, yet each line and ink wash contributes perfectly to creating a space simultaneously tranquil and animated by the artist’s confident brushstrokes.