Farming scenes of the four seasons

This screen depicts farming activities. .Agriculture and sericulture (the production of raw silk by raising silkworms) had been the economic foundation of Japan since ancient times. Through Confucian teachings, the government promoted hard work in agriculture and related industries; in keeping with this encouragement, agriculture and sericulture became popular painting themes. In screens and scrolls, farmers were depicted in seasonal activities. Painters of the Kano school, which was officially recognized by the shogun (the warrior-leader of Japan's feudal lords), especially favored these themes. Kano Tanyu was the chief painter of the shogun's Painting Academy. Talented and prolific, he established the Kano style at the academy, where it became influential among the painters who served samurai (warrior) class