Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛)

Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛) was an artist active across the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, with documented activity spanning the period 1573 through 1641.

The legacy of Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛) is preserved in several key North American institutions, which collectively hold ten documented works. These include six paintings, one drawing, and three additional pieces represented in museum collections. The artist’s output demonstrates an engagement with narrative and portraiture, with notable works including the painting Coastal Landscape, the historical narrative piece Joruri Monogatari, and the specific portrait Samurai.

The artist also explored classical literary themes, evidenced by works such as The Poetess Kotaigogu no Daibu and The Poet Mibu no Tadamine, the latter being extracted from a set of album leaves illustrating The Thirty-six Poetic Immortals. The physical conservation of Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛) paintings and associated drawings is managed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. These museum-quality holdings confirm the significance of Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛)'s contributions to art history. Today, reproductions of select Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛) paintings are often available as high-quality prints through public domain initiatives.