丹青
also: たんぜい
た
ん
せ
い
Meanings
1
red and blue
Only with reading たんせい
Literal reference to the colors red and blue, often in classical or poetic contexts.
Old documents record '丹青' as red and blue pigments.
2
paints; colors
Only with reading たんせい
Extended from the literal colors to refer to paints or coloring materials in general, used in classical or artistic contexts.
The painter used paints skillfully to depict a landscape on the folding screen.
3
Metonymic use for a painting or picture itself; a literary term. The reading たんぜい is a rare alternative.
This painting is said to be a work from the Kamakura period.