Shogun's Painted Culture : Fear and Creativity in the Japanese States 1760-1829

Reassesses the career of the chief minister Matsudaira Sadanobu & locates it within broader cultural & intellectual concerns. Aware of how visual representations could support or undermine regimes, Sadanobu promoted certain styles of painting that differed from the hedonistic ukiyo-e tradition, to advance his own political aims & improve the shogunate's image. In 1788, the city of Kyoto was destroyed by fire. Its reconstruction provided the stage for the consummation of the Ôshogun's painted culture' in a renewed iconography of power. Once retired, Sadanobu continued to work, issuing endless recommendations to the government. He played a key role in defining what we call ÔJapanese culture' today. B&W illustrations.Screech, Timon is the author of 'Shogun's Painted Culture : Fear and Creativity in the Japanese States 1760-1829', published 2005 under ISBN 9780756797201 and ISBN 0756797209.