Active in the late 18th century Kyoto, Maruyama Ōkyo (1733-95) is widely known as the father of the Maruyama School characterized by its naturalistic style. This exhibition views Ōkyo from various angles, such as the fact that he learned naturalism from Western engravings and Chinese paintings, that his trick-art-like idea takes advantage of both optical illusion and the three dimensional quality of the support in shohekiga* and byobue** placed in situ and his simultaneously realistic and witty hand and taste, among other aspects. And it intends to establish that Ōkyo was a truly talented painter in the painting circles of the Edo period, and was an innovator who laid a solid foundation for modern nihon-ga (Japanese painting).