Moon and Waves

Kiitsu, from a family of dyers, had been adopted into the family of Suzuki Reitan (1782–1817), one of Sakai Hōitsu’s students. Kiitsu began to study under Hōitsu in 1813 and served him until his death in 1828. He eventually became head of the family after marrying Reitan’s sister. While his predecessors followed a rather formalized style, Kiitsu created tension in his works by playing with the contrast between flat, decorative shapes and naturalistic depictions.