Chinese Painting Styles: Obaku and Nanpin

Despite the maritime ban promulgated by the Chinese during the Ming to Qing dynasty transition in the 17th century, it did not mean that trade between China and Japan at this time had come to a complete halt. In addition to European merchant ships that plied the seas of East Asia, control by the Zheng Group formed a trade network involving Taiwan, Fujian and Zhejiang, and Kyushu that is not to be underestimated. With trade ships plying the waters, cultural exchange developed as a result. In 1654, Yinyuan Longqi from Fujian accepted an invitation from Master Yiran Xingrong and went to the Sofukuji Temple in Nagasaki to become its next abbot. Master Yinyuan Longqi, after his arrival, went from Nagasaki to visit many places in Japan, becoming the founder of the Obaku School of Zen Buddhism and turning a new page in Sino-Japanese cultural exchange, including painting.

Afterwards, in 1731, the Zhejiang painter Shen Quan took disciples, including Zheng Pei, to Japan and brought a fine-line manner of Chinese painting practiced outside of the court. In 1758, the artist Song Ziyan likewise traveled from Zhejiang to Japan, also delving into this refined style of painting. Thereafter, the Nanpin School, named after Shen Quan, took hold in Nagasaki, its influence later spreading to Osaka, Kyoto, and Edo (Tokyo).