The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama

Nanga, translated as “southern pictures,” was an Edo-period school of Japanese painting perfected by intellectual artists with an affinity for Chinese culture. The mostly monochromatic style was modeled after Chinese literati painting, which focused almost exclusively on portrayals of Chinese landscapes, birds, or flowers. While Chinese literati painting followed a fairly strict range of acceptable techniques and motifs, modern Japanese nanga painters experimented with various colors, techniques, and subjects, bringing new life to the movement. The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama, Wakayama Prefectural Museum and the Shiga Prefectural Museum of Art have collaborated to present this selection of Nanga pieces from the Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods.