Early life

Born in Kyoto in 1845, Imao Keinen studied painting and calligraphy with Umegata Tokyo and Suzuki Hyakunen. He began teaching at the Kyoto Prefecture School of Painting in 1880, and exhibited in shows in Japan and Paris. One of the most well-known Japanese painters of his time, he became a member of the Art Committee of the Imperial Household in 1904 and the Imperial Art Academy in 1919, both great honors.

Woodblock printing

Keinen earned lasting fame for his beautiful bird and flower designs, or kacho-ga, which appeared in a four volume woodblock print series titled "Bird and Flower Albums by Keinen" (Keinen kacho gafu). Published in 1892, the set features one album of 40 prints for each of the four seasons, rendered with realistic lifelike detail.