Watanabe Shikō (渡辺始興)

Watanabe Shikō (渡辺始興) was an artist whose documented professional activity spans the decade between 1700 and 1710. The artist is known exclusively through a select body of work held in prominent US collections, establishing the museum-quality status of their output.

Nine paintings by Watanabe Shikō (渡辺始興) are currently represented in major museum holdings, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art. These holdings feature significant examples of the artist’s work, such as the large format compositions Flowers and Trees of the Four Seasons, which is documented as a multi-part work including distinct left and right screens. Other noted pieces preserved in collections are several works titled Irises.

The artist's limited but historically significant oeuvre ensures continued accessibility for scholarship and public viewing. Today, the enduring compositions of Watanabe Shikō (渡辺始興) paintings are frequently available as high-quality prints, often derived from public domain resources maintained by the institutions holding the original works.