Born the eldest son of the Masuya, a vegetable wholesaler on Nishikikōji in Kyoto.
His father died and he took over the business, but, uninterested in trade, he immersed himself in painting.
Around this time, after studying Kanō and Chinese painting, he reportedly kept chickens in his garden, observing and sketching them for years.
He handed the business to his younger brother and devoted himself entirely to painting.
He began the Dōshoku Sai-e, vivid paintings of birds, fish and flowers, completing thirty scrolls over about a decade.
He donated the Dōshoku Sai-e, with a Buddhist triad, to Shōkoku-ji in Kyoto; later presented to the imperial household, it is now a National Treasure.
When the Nishiki market faced closure, he worked hard negotiating with the authorities to save it.
He lost his home in Kyoto's Great Tenmei Fire, later moving near Sekihō-ji in Fushimi and designing the temple's five hundred arhat statues.
He died in Fushimi. Long forgotten, his meticulous yet bold paintings have recently become enormously popular.
Ishida BaiganKamo no MabuchiAoki Kon'yōYosa BusonTanuma OkitsuguMaeno RyōtakuIke no TaigaSuzuki Harunobu
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.