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Japanese Rinpa Painting

Japanese Rinpa Painting

The paintings of Sakai Hōitsu, who revived the Japanese Rinpa school's popularity, will inspire original artwork as students learn about his life and style.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829) was a Japanese painter of the Rinpa school known for having revived the school's style and popularity. Rinpa art was done notably on screens, fans, scrolls, textiles, and other surfaces. The themes often involved simple natural subjects such as birds, plants, and flowers. Have students learn about the style that was created in the 17th century by Hon'ami Kōwetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu. Who are some of its notable artists? Where did the style flourish? Ask them to look at images of Hōitsu's art.

  • Step 2

    Nature is a prominent theme in Rinpa art. Ask students to look at some of the flowers and plants used in Hōitsu's paintings to inspire them to create their own artwork using tempera ot washable paint on construction paper.

  • Step 3

    When their work is dry have students describe the images depicted and some interesting facts they learned about the Rinpa style.

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

ARTS: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

Adaptations

Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a distinctive art form that originated more than 3,000 years ago. Have students learn about this craft, a characteristic of which is a maki-e in which metal powder is incorporated into the lacquer. Have them look at images of lacquerware created by artists such as Ogata Kōrin, a founder of the Rinpa school.

Flowers are frequently featured in Rinpa art. In Japan, flowers have their own language known as "hanakotoba" which translates to "flower words." Have students investigate some flowers and their hanakotoba, such as cherry blossoms that signify "beauty of heart" and "accomplishment" or wisteria whose hanakotoba include "welcome" and "kind."