Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) / 1827
Portrait of Ōzora Buzaemon
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of Ōzora Buzaemon as painting (Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) · 1827).
Watanabe Kazan was interested in Rangaku (Dutch Learning).
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as hanging scroll; ink and color on paper and credits Watanabe Kazan (Japanese, 1793–1841).
The museum's collection notes: Over seven feet tall, Ōzora Buzaemon became a tabloid sensation when he arrived in Edo (Tokyo) in 1827 . His handprints were cherished souvenirs, and his image was sold on woodblock prints. As inscriptions on the scroll detail, Watanabe Kazan met Buzaemon at the residence of a noted Confucian scholar. Using a camera obscura–type device—a tool that uses light to project an image onto a surface—he made this preliminary drawing for a painting. The portrayal depicts Buzaemon’s discomfort in being stared at.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of Ōzora BuzaemonOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.