Kusumi Morikage (c. 1620–1690) was a Japanese painter of the Edo period who trained in the Kanō school and became known for leaving its strict conventions to depict rural life. His sympathy for farmers and the poor of the period gives his work a social dimension that was unusual in the official painting of his time.
A pupil of Kanō Tan'yū, Morikage broke with the rigid academic practice of the school and its principles, which led to his estrangement from his master. He then became the official painter of the Maeda clan in Kaga Province, living in Kanazawa and forming ties with several local families. His most successful works are believed to date from this period, among them Ritual of Racehorse at Kamigamo Shrine and Picking Tea at Uji.
His work reflects the importance of agriculture in Tokugawa Japan, where rice was both a tax burden and a source of pride. In Family Enjoying the Evening Cool, in his falconry folding screens and in Farming in the Four Seasons, he portrayed the daily life of farmers with a lively and expressive style.
He is regarded as a pioneer in the visual depiction of rural manners and customs. His legacy can be seen in later painters who also left the Kanō school, such as Hanabusa Itchō, and in his daughter Kiyohara Yukinobu, one of the few female painters of the Edo period.
Works (1)
The painting shows a moment of rest as evening falls, when people seek relief from the day's heat. No information about its date or commission is available, so any more detailed reading should be approached with caution. It is held at the Tokyo National Museum.
Where to see the work
- Tokyo National Museum Tokyo · 1
Teachers and pupils
Studied with
- Kanō Tan'yū 1602–1674