Ogata Gekkō
Japanese, 1859-1920
- Names
Ogata Gekko
尾形月耕
Ogata Gekkō
- Occupation or Type
painter
print designer
- Bio
Born in 1859, Ogata Gekko worked as a painter, printmaker and decorator of lacquerware and pottery. Genre scenes from everyday life were his most common subjects. He produced a considerable number of war prints during and after the Sino-Japanese war. His print style is more reminiscent of paintings then traditional woodblocks and his designs required great skill of the carvers and printers who executed them.
Perhaps best known to Western collectors for his images of the Sino- and Russo-Japanese wars, Gekkô was self-trained as an artist and constantly made sketches from life. Unbound by the conventions of traditional artistic lineages, he created a unique style, placing his figures in convincing settings. Along with his contemporary Watanabe Seitei, he was instrumental in introducing the sashiage printing technique that closely simulated the appearance of watercolor painting.
- Gender
Male