Tiger — Kishi Ganku

Tiger

Discover Kishi Ganku’s stunning ‘Tiger’ (1790) – a masterful Sumi-e ink painting of raw power & grace. Explore this iconic Japanese artwork's unique style & cultural significance.


Kishi Ganku

Kishi Ganku (1749-1839) was a leading Japanese painter of Kyoto and founder of the Kishi school. Renowned for his dynamic paintings of tigers, he blended Kano, Maruyama, and Chinese styles to create a uniquely realistic and vigorous aesthetic during the late Edo period.

Ganku became famous for his meticulously brushed paintings of tigers. He first studied Kano-style painting and then mastered the more naturalistic manner espoused by the Chinese painter Shen Nanpin (Shen Quan, 1682–1758) as well as by artists of the Maruyama-Shijō school. The more vigorous style he developed became a trademark of the Kishi school, of which he is considered the founder. This painting is signed with his alternative art name Utanosuke Ganku 歌楽助岸駒.