Ongoku

Chigusa Kitani was a Japanese nihonga painter and painting teacher in Taishō and Shōwa Japan. Born in Osaka, she went to Tokyo to study under the Japanese-style bijinga painter, Ikeda Shōen. In 1915, Chigusa returned to Osaka to study under Kitano Tsunetomi. She later established her own painting association there, and all her life she aimed to nurture, instruct, and improve the status of women painters.

The title of this work, Ongoku, is taken from a song for the Buddhist Urabon festival. Osaka children walk around their neighborhood in line, singing the song to welcome ancestral spirits back from the afterlife. In July 1918, Chigusa lost her little brother to illness and painted this work in mourning for him. Through the girl looking at the little boy who looks back at her, we find Chigusa’s sentiment recalling her deceased brother. 

P.S. If you're a fan of Japanese art but you're not familiar with women artists from Japan, we've got you covered! Meet Nōguchi Shōhin, a female artist from Edo and Meiji eras!

P.P.S. Are you in love with Japanese Art as much as we are? Please check our 2023 Daily Planner with Japanese Art inside and our 50 Postcard set.  :)  Enjoy this pure beauty!

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