The Founder of a Dynasty: Kano Sukekiyo and the Birth of a School Kano Sukekiyo, born in Kyoto in 1520 and passing away in 1590, stands as a pivotal figure in the history of Japanese painting. He wasn’t merely an artist; he was the architect of the Kanō school, a style that would dominate Japanese art for centuries, shaping aesthetic sensibilities and serving as the visual language of power during the Muromachi period and beyond. Sukekiyo inherited a legacy from his father, Kano Motonobu, who already held a prominent position within the artistic circles of Kyoto. However, it was Sukekiyo’s u…