Art Time-Traveller

Revival of the Rooster (1x2)

: 09, 2014

In the late 18th Century, many gifted painters gathered in the center of Kyoto. Of these, an especially unique painter is Ito Jakuchu, famous for his "rooster paintings". Jakuchu's beautifully detailed and colorful paintings were very popular at the time, but gradually faded with the times. In 1953, Jakuchu was rediscovered by a young American in New York, and an exhibition held in Kyoto in 2000 renewed the painter's popularity in Japan, kicking off a worldwide Jakuchu trend. In this episode, we explore Jakuchu's unique life and work, and meet the modern artists he inspired.