Former Chikuden-so | travel taketa

Tanomura Chikuden (1763-1840) was a Nanga artist during the Edo period. Founded in the mid-18th century, Nanga was a Japanese school of painting influenced by Chinese artists. It sought to render the essential beauty of poetry into visual form. Chikuden layered soft lines in his paintings to produce graceful, calm works that reflected his personality.

The former Chikuden-so was the home he was born in and where his deep artistic sensitivities were nurtured. The home consists of a main, two-story structure, a separate inkyo *, and an atelier that also served as a living space for Chikuden’s apprentices. The home offers a panoramic view of the castle town below.

Taketa City Historical and Cultural Museum Yugakukan, which is located near the Former Chikuden-so, exhibits works by Tanomura Chikuden.

*In Japan, where three-generation households were once the norm, the inkyo was a separate structure that served as a living space for the family’s eldest generation.

田能村竹田（たのむらちくでん）（1763-1840）は、江戸時代に活躍した日本を代表する南画家です。

南画とは中国の絵画に影響され18世紀半ばにおこった日本の画派で、「詩とそれにふさわしい書体、そして詩の世界の絵画化、これらが調和しているのがよい絵画である」とされていました。柔らかい描線を重ねる竹田の画は、その人柄を反映して気品高く、穏やかです。

旧竹田荘は、その田能村竹田の深い教養と感性を育んだ生家です。二階建ての母屋と別棟の隠居部屋、アトリエ兼弟子の住まいに使った部屋とがあり、敷地からは眼下に城下町を一望できます。

竹田の作品は、近くにある「竹田市歴史文化館由学館」で観覧できます。