ARTIST DETAILS

Tosa Mitsuoki (1617-1691) was a painter of the early Edo period. Born in Izumi, his father was Tosa Mitsunori. He moved to Kyoto at the age of eighteen and studied under Toda Mitsuzumi.
Incorporating Kano school and Song-Yuan paintings (Sō-Gen ga) into the Tosa school aesthetic, he played a key role in the development and enhancement of the Tosa style in the Edo period.
He became Hokkyo (the third-highest rank for Buddhist priests), shaved his head with the name Josho, and was later appointed Hogen (the second highest rank for Buddhist priests).

Together with Mitsunaga and Mitsunobu, he was called one of the Sanpitsu (three famous painters) of the Tosa Group.