Kaigetsudouha　懐月堂派

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Kaigetsudou school. A school of *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 artists in early 18c who specialized in the hand-painting *nikuhitsuga 肉筆画 of beautiful women *bijinga 美人画. The founder of the school, Kaigetsudou Ando 懐月堂安度 created a unique style of painting women (mostly courtesans) according to which the subjects stood in a "く"-shaped posture wearing gorgeous kimonos 着物. The figures were characterized by bold brushstrokes with strong thick-and-thin accents and bright colors (especially the primary colors) applied to the patterns of the kimonos. No background or setting was depicted. The ladies became so popular that they were called Kaigetsudou bijin 懐月堂美人 (Kaigetsudou beauties), and were produced in large quantities in the Kaigetsudou studio. The fact that the master usually collaborated with his disciples casts doubt on the authenticity of works signed by the master. Among the many followers of Ando, Anchi 安知 and Dohan 度繁 were the most talented. The disciples of Ando sometimes worked on the woodblock print versions of the Kaigetsudou beauties. Probably because Ando himself was exiled to an island for a period, having been involved in a political scandal in 1714, the school lasted only for a few decades, until about the mid-18c.

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