Rimpa art: influences from the Edo period to the present day

Abstract

Even though “Rimpa” is a well-known chapter of Japanese history of art, there are still many incorrect terms and pieces of information generally accepted as truth on the topic. Rimpa artists shared the same artistic views and the appreciation for a particular style, transmitted only intermittently, across a three-hundred-year period. The relation between master and disciple, usually face to face in Japanese tradition, is of no help when it comes to Rimpa: in fact many painters did not even see each other. Kōrin was born about 20 years after Sōtatsu's death, Hōitsu was born almost half century after Kōrin's death. The present dissertation's aim is to shed a light on this group of artists, who never defined themselves as a “school”. After the analysis of Rimpa's characteristic features, the present research aims to demonstrate its importance through the influence they played on various artists belonging to different epochs, ranging from Edo period to the present day, both Japanese and European. As a consequence, the survey has been carried out through an investigation on paintings, ceramics, lacquerware, textiles for kimono, woodblock prints, video installations, glass works and design. When possible, as in the case of the living artist Kuniaki Kuroki, the current study has been enriched with interviews and fieldwork. From the present analysis of Rimpa production, as well as its impact on heterogeneous artists belonging to different epochs, the strength of Rimpa artists' vision will truly stand out, still influencing today's living artists with its beautiful timeless features.