Silver Wind

Sakai Hoitsu was one of the most prominent painters of late 18th- and early 19th-century Japan, known for technical bravura, arresting compositions, and striking use of colour. After becoming a Buddhist monk, Hoitsu was able to dedicate himself to painting, establishing a studio, and studying the work of Ogata Korin (1658-1716). Hoitsu successfully revived the earlier artist's style, which later came to be known as Rimpa, "the school of Korin". The first book in English to focus exclusively on the work of this important artist, "Silver Wind" examines fifty-eight of Hoitsu's works and those of his predecessors and artistic heirs, ranging from scrolls and screens to fans, lacquer, and woodblock-printed books. Accompanying essays explore Hoitsu's discovery and reinterpretation of Korin's artistic legacy; the aesthetics of the Rimpa style; and the career of Suzuki Kiitsu, his leading student.