“Bunjin” in Japanese Art

“Bunjin” in Japanese Art explores how Japanese artists in the 18th and 19th centuries embraced a lifestyle centered on learning, literature and artistic exchange. Bunjin, meaning “person of letters,” comes from the Chinese concept of wenren, referring to scholars who exchanged paintings and poetry. This tradition of scholar-artists, who created art inspired by shared intellectual and social values, spread to Japan and Korea. In Japan, it became especially influential during the Edo period (1615–1868).

Calligraphy and Painting Party (書画会), 1880. Kawanabe Kyōsai (河鍋 暁斎) (Japanese, 1831–1889), Others (Japanese).