Kano Masanobu

A portrait of a Zen monk by Kano Masanobu

"Landscape" by Kano Masanobu

"Birds, Trees, and Flowers" by Kano Masanobu.

Kano Masanobu was born in 1434 AD, where he is known for establishing and creating the Kano School. Masanobu was trained in ink paintings of the Song and Yuan Dynasties of China at the Shōkokuji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. He married the daughter of Tosa Mitsunobu, where the two branches of the Kano school were created.

During his time, Kano Masanobu established the Kano style, and created the Kano School. Through his paintings, he adopted the Chinese painting style. He was also associated with the Zen Temples, even though he wasn't a follower of Zen. With this, he took advantage of his relationship with the Zen monks and the Ashikaga Shoguns. These relationships helped him secure keep the favor from the military leaders. Some of his paintings includes “Birds, Trees, and Flowers” and a piece called “Landscape”.