Tani Bunchō (Japanese b.1763-d.1841) INK PAINTING 'ZHONG KUI', EDO PERIOD 江戶 谷文晁款 水墨鍾馗扇面 of fan shape, one side painted with the mythical vanquisher of ghosts Zhong Kui holding a sword in his right hand, the top left of the painting with calligraphies, the first two indicating the painting was painted in the year of 'Jia Shen', corresponding to 1704, 1764 or 1824 (47.5cm wide) Qty: (1) Footnote: Provenance: Private Taiwanese collection Note: As a Japanese literati (bunjin) painter and poet, he began studying the painting techniques of the Kanō school in his youth under Katō Bunrei (1706–82). After Bunrei's death, Bunchō worked with masters of other schools, such as the literati painter Kitayama Kangen (1767–1801), and developed a wide stylistic range that included many Chinese, Japanese and European idioms. Unlike most bunjinga painters of his time, he painted idealized Chinese landscapes, actual Japanese sites, and poetically-inspired traditional scenery. He also painted portraits of his contemporaries and imagined images of such Chinese literati heroes as Su Shi and Tao Yuanming.