Picture Book of Essays in Idleness, by Nishikawa Sukenobu

Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671–1750), Japanese painter of the Ukiyo-e school of popular, colourful paintings and prints, who also was a book designer of the Kyōto–Ōsaka area. Nishikawa studied painting with masters of two schools, the Kanō (stressing Chinese subjects and techniques) and the Japanese-oriented Tosa. Eventually, however, he was influenced by Ukiyo-e painters, especially Hishikawa Moronobu (died 1694). In his time Edo (now Tokyo) was already considered the centre of Ukiyo-e, and that school’s prints were often referred to as Edo-e or Edo paintings and prints.