The world of Japanese art would be quite different today had the problems of Ogata Korin (1658-1716) not begun to accumulate in 1687.
First came the death of his father, a wealthy textile merchant with a web of personal and business ties to Kyoto’s elite. Then there was an embarrassing lawsuit by an old flame, the daughter of an influential trading family, with whom Korin had fathered a child. Though the case was quickly settled, Korin was compelled to hand over one of his properties and a large amount of money to support the upbringing of his offspring.
Ogata Korin: Art in Early Modern Japan, by Frank Feltens240 pagesYALE UNIVERSITY PRESS