He played an important role in developing ukiyo-e paintings, which till then had been just illustrations in picture books, into independent works of art appreciated for their aesthetics.
それまで絵入本の単なる挿絵でしかなかった浮世絵を、鑑賞に堪え得うる独立した絵画作品にまで高めるという重要な役割を果たした。