eikadō, senkadō and hyakuju
The Quiet Innovator: Nishimura Shigenaga and the Dawn of Ukiyo-e Nishimura Shigenaga, more commonly known as Eikadō, Senkadō, or Hyakuju, emerged from the bustling heart of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) in the late 17th century – a period of remarkable transformation and artistic ferment within Japan. Born around 1697, his life unfolded against the backdrop of a rapidly changing society, marked by the rise of the merchant class and an increasing fascination with popular culture. Unlike many artists who benefited from formal training, Shigenaga’s path to mastery was largely self-directed. He began h…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of eikadō, senkadō and hyakuju's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.