Roosters, hens and chicks

Jakuchu grew up in a prosperous merchant household in Kyoto’s Nishiki-koji district, at the center of a bustling fish and vegetable market. A devout Buddhist with no interest in commerce or the pleasure quarters, he took up painting full time in his mid-thirties and was obsessively absorbed in his work for over half a century. As for his subject matter, it seems that he raised chickens at home. They play a significant role in his oeuvre and he was particularly celebrated for his paintings of roosters. He executed this favorite subject in both splendid polychrome and the uniquely playful monochrome technique we see here. Jakuchu used a special absorbent paper (gasenshi) and piled up layers and blots of ink with a wet brush producing a sensuous velvety effect both on the flora and the fauna.