The Kano painters are remarkable for the boldness and living strength of the brush strokes _(fude no chicara_ or _fude no ikioi)_, as well as for the brilliancy or sheen _(tsuya)_ and shading of the _sumi._ This latter effect—the play of light and shade in the stroke, considered almost a divine gift—is called BOKUSHOKU, and recalls somewhat the term _chiaroscuru._ The range of subjects of the Kano painters was originally limited to classic Chinese scenery, treated with simplicity and refinement, and to Chinese personages, sages and philosophers; color was used sparingly.
Other schools, more or less offshoots of the Kano style (RYU) of painting, came next—e. g., Korin and his imitator, Hoitsu, the DAIMYO of Sakai, who was said to use powdered gold and precious stones in his pigments. Korin has never had his equal as a painter on lacquer. His work is said to be _le regal des delicats._
Another disciple of the Kano school, and a pupil of Yutei, was Maruyama Okyo, who founded in turn a school of art which is the most widely spread and flourishing in Japan today. Maruyama, not Okyo, was the family name of that artist. The name Okyo originated thus: Maruyama, much admiring an ancient painter named Shun Kyo, took the latter half of that name, Kyo, and prefixing an “O” to it, made it Okyo, which he then adopted. His style is called SHI JO FU, SHI JO being the name of that part of Kyoto where he resided, and FU meaning style or manner, and its characteristic is artistic fidelity to the objects represented. By some it is called the realistic school, and includes such well-known household names as Goshun, pupil of Busson, Sosen, the great monkey painter, Tessan _(Plate III.)_ and his son, Morikwansai, Bairei, Chi-kudo, the tiger painter, Hyakunen and his three pupils, Keinen, Shonen and Beisen, Kawabata Gyokusho, Torei, Shoen, and Takeuchi Seiho.
There are still other schools (RYUGI) which might be mentioned, including that of the NANGWA, or Chinese southern painters, of Chinese origin and remarkable for the gracefulness of the brush stroke, the effective treatment of the masses and for the play of light and shade throughout the composition. Among the great NANGWA painters are Taigado, Chikuden, Baietsu _(Plate VIII)_ and Katei. To this school is referred a style of painting affected exclusively by the professional writers of Chinese characters, and called BUNJINGWA. To these I will allude further on. The versatile artist, Tani Buncho, created a school which had many adherents, including the distinguished Watanabe Kwazan and Eiko of Tokyo, lately deceased, one of its best exponents.