Origins & Early Life

Kanō Eitoku (狩野 永徳; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.noː (|) e(ꜜ)i.tokɯ, -e(ꜜ)ː-], February 16, 1543 – October 12, 1590) was a Japanese painter who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japanese history and one of the most prominent patriarchs of the Kanō school of Japanese painting. Born in Kyoto, Eitoku was the grandson of Kanō Motonobu(1476–1559), an official painter for the Ashikaga shogunate. He showed his talent for painting at an early age, and at the age of 10 he had an audience with the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru alongside Motonobu. While there are various theories regarding the exact years of creation, in his early twenties, he created two works that are now considered National Treasures: Rakuchū rakugai zu byōbu (洛中洛外図屏風, Views in and around Kyoto) and the fusuma (襖, sliding doors) paintings entitled Kachō zu fusuma (花鳥図襖, Birds and flowers of the four seasons) at Jukō-in, a subtemple of the Daitoku-ji Temple.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

At a young age, he had acquired skills equivalent to those of Kano Motonobu. He painted the Rakuchū rakugai zu in 1565 at the request of Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Subsequently, Oda Nobunaga acquired the artwork to demonstrate his control over Kyoto and...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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