tiger in bamboo grove

When he was young, Tan'yū called himself Uneme, and when he was in his mid-thirties, he shaved his head and called himself Tan'yūsai. Three years later, he was awarded the rank of Hogen, and became famous as an official painter of the Tokugawa shogunate. Tan'yu lived a long life and produced a large number of works. The themes of his paintings were diverse, and his technique was also diverse, ranging from gorgeous painting styles on gold ground to ink paintings.

In his later years, Tan'yu liked tiger designs and painted many tiger paintings. The photo above is one example of this, created for the small Hojo of Nanzenji Temple. It is thought to have been produced at the end of the Kan'ei era or during the Joō era.

Two tigers are drawn against the backdrop of a bamboo grove. Both tigers are full of dynamism, and among the many tiger paintings of the Tokugawa period, this work evokes the most strength.