WASHINGTON –

'The most important Japanese artist you've never heard of." That is how James Ulak, senior curator of Japanese art at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, describes Tawaraya Sotatsu, the focus of the gallery's current magnificent exhibition. The show presents the first in-depth examination of the master to be held in the United States, and while Sotatsu may not be a household name, the exhibition does much to illuminate us on this brilliant and intriguing artist.

Much of Sotatsu's life is a mystery. It is clear he was active in Kyoto from around 1600 to 1640; he headed the Tawaraya, a painting studio and shop that designed and sold fans, and although a lowly artisan, he moved in elite circles, counting the Imperial court among his patrons. Despite great success, however, he quickly fell into obscurity after his death. This was partly due, ironically, to the devotion of his later follower Ogata Korin. Korin's copies of major works by Sotatsu were so celebrated that they eclipsed the originals. And it was Korin whose name became linked, both in Japan and abroad, with the style that was actually originated by Sotatsu.

Sotatsu appeared at a time when the rise of the merchant class was creating new patrons for an art full of novelty and surprise but also rich in references to a courtly, literary culture. As an artist and designer for the urban Tawaraya studio, he was practiced in translating images from classical tales to the challenging format of the folding fan. His connections among the nobility gave him privileged access to traditional Japanese- style handscrolls — a treasure-trove of motifs and stylistic techniques to be inspired by. Since he did not belong to any official school of art, he could also borrow freely from a wide range of sources, including new technologies of printing, and images and ink methods found in Korean and Chinese paintings.