Ikeda Keisen

Ikeda Keisen painted delicate ink-and-color screens in the late Meiji era, blending gold leaf and silk in a six-panel work like Fish and Plants from 1908. Their brushwork follows the naturalistic tradition of late Edo botanical studies, where every leaf and fin is counted in careful strokes. If you trace the gold veins in Fish and Plants, you’ll see how Keisen balanced color against emptiness, a habit seen in many screens from the same decade. Tap next to see how gold and mineral pigments catch the light on silk.