Rimpa school

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spring Landscape, unknown Rimpa school painter, 18th century, six-screen ink and gold on paper.

Rimpa (琳派), also romanized as Rinpa, is one of the major historical schools of Japanese decorative painting. It was created in the 17th century by the artists Hon'ami Kōetsu (1558-1637) and Tawaraya Sōtatsu (d. c. 1643). Roughly fifty years later, the style was consolidated by brothers Ōgata Kōrin and Kenzan.

Rimpa is said to come out of a desire to revive Heian era motifs while remaining unique and new itself. The stereotypical standard painting in the Rimpa style would involve simple natural subjects like birds, plants and flowers, with the background filled in with gold leaf. Many of these paintings were used on the sliding doors and walls (fusuma) of noble homes.