Kose Kanaoka

Kose Kanaoka (巨勢 金岡, Kose no Kanaoka, born 802?—died 897?, Japan)[1] was a ninth-century Japanese artist, court painter of Heian (Kyoto).

Known as someone who pursued and added depth to the style unique to Japanese-style painting, he is said to render service by establishing the style of Yamato-e painting, a traditional Japanese style painting of the late Heian and Kamakura periods dealing with Japanese themes.

His descendants later formed a circle of painters known as the Kose school, and it greatly influenced the fields of kyuutei-ga (court paintings) and Buddhist paintings.

He made the first tonal gradation, and the first Buddha in crayonnage style.

This school would change from producing Chinese style paintings with Chinese themes into a more Japanese style of painting techniques.