Hanabusa Itcho (attributed to) (Japan, 1652-1724) Otafuku (detail), Late 17th -early 18th century, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Image: 38 ½ x 14 ¼ in. Purchased with Funds Provided by Mrs. William Coberly, Jr., and Nell R. Applegate Bequest. Photograph © 2011 Museum Associates/LACMA
The East Asian Art Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art presents “The Many Faces of Itcho, Artist-Rebel of Japan” lecture by Assistant Prof. Miriam Wattles of UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, April 10, at 3 pm, at Dorothy Collins Brown auditorium in LACMA.
The painter Hanabusa Itcho (1624-1724) became a legend in his own lifetime, and remained so for an extended period. Banished from the capital of Edo for eleven years at age 47, he symbolized the Japanese artist-rebel to later generations.
Yet Itcho’s work was more varied than his legend made it seem; before his exile, he not only painted, but he composed songs and humorous poetry and served as master-of-ceremony at parties for the most powerful.
Once pardoned and back in Edo, he was unrivalled for the last fifteen years of his life; the multifaceted paintings his studio produced ranged from serious religious icons to humorous satires.
This lecture looks at some late paintings by Itcho to query how they culminated his career.
Miriam Wattles is Assistant Professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She teaches and writes on Japanese visual culture (especially paintings, prints, books, and manga) from the early modern to the modern period.
To RSVP, call Chris Drosse of LACMA at (323) 857-6565.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art is located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. www.lacma.org