Genryū (18 c.)

Painting of a walking tiger in manner of the Nagasaki school. Genryū seems to be a contemporary of Matsui Genshū (1752-1813) since he is using the same character in his name. It is an extraordinary fine tiger painting in ink on paper with a unique facial expression. Like in the famous painting by Nagasawa Rōsetsu (1759-1799), the tiger has an almost whimsically smile. In that time painters never got the chance to observe real tiger in nature, so they draw their inspiration from cats, which lead to surprisingly modern and fresh looking impressions of these popular motif during the Japanese Edo period (1603-1868).

Signed Genryū utsusu 元龍寫 ("Painted by Genryū"), sealed Genryū no in 元龍之印 ("Seal of Genryū") and Ichiji Shutoku 一字主徳 (?)

For references see the painting of a "Walking Tiger" by Matsui Genshū in the collection of Minneapolis Institute of Art, Accession Number 2012.1.12.

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