The Hozu River (Hozugawa 保津川図),

1772

Maruyama Ōkyo, a leading eighteenth-century master, was born the son of a farmer in the countryside not far from Kyoto. He later moved to the city and worked for a doll shop, where he came into contact with Western stereoscopes and developed a lifelong interest in Western perspectival painting. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Ōkyo was primarily interested in painting directly from nature, and he concentrated on the representation of various aspects of water. A number of his masterworks depict rushing mountain streams, rippling seas, and angry waves breaking against rocks. The Hozu River, which runs near the city of Kyoto, was a favorite subject. This six-fold screen was originally painted on four sliding doors. It was likely paired with a corresponding set of doors depicting a landscape with a similar subject, perhaps the Uji River to the south of Kyoto.