Kikuchi Hōbun 菊池 芳文 was born in Ôsaka in the Ichitani family, who were professional mounters of paintings. He was adopted into the Kikuchi family and moved to Kyôto. He was first trained by Kanō Hôen, and from 1881 to 1885 he was one of Kôno Bairei’s many pupils.
For most of his professional life he was a teacher at the Kyôto Municipal School of Fine Arts and Crafts. He frequently exhibited at the Bunten. He became a judge both at the Bunten and the Teiten.
Kikuchi Hôbun, Takeuchi Seihô, Taniguchi Kôkyô and Tsuji Kakô were the four leading painters of Kyôto at the time and the founders of the modern Kyôto school.
Recurring themes in his work are landscapes and kacho-e in the traditional style. His best known pupils are his adopted son Kikuchi Keigetsu, Kawakita Kahô, Yamada Kôun and Abe Shumpô. He died in 1918.
