Kanō Naganobu: A Pioneer of Color and Gold in Edo Japan Kanō Naganobu (1577 – December 26, 1654) stands as a pivotal figure in the Kanō school of Japanese painting, marking a crucial transition from Kyoto’s aristocratic patronage to Edo’s burgeoning artistic landscape. Born into a lineage steeped in artistic tradition—his brother, Kanō Eitoku, headed the influential Kanō school—Naganobu inherited a legacy of meticulous technique and v…