painting in taisho and early showa autonomy and social responsibility of the artist--following j....
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Painting in Taisho and early Showa
Autonomy and Social Responsibility of the Artist--following J.
Thomas Rimer
Takamura Kôtarô (1883-1956)• Poet and sculptor, study in Paris
• 1910 “The Green Sun”– “I desire absolute freedom of art. Consequently, I recognize the limitless authority of the individuality of the artist. I would like to make the starting point the evaluation of this individuality. I would like to study individuality itself and not question its existence. If another man sees an object I believe is green but that he says is red, I would like to evaluate the manner in which he handles the red object--based on the assumption that the object is indeed red. I do not want to question his belief that the object is red. Rather, I welcome him because his conception of nature differs from mine. I want to know to what degree he has captured the truth of nature; I also want to know the depth and richness of his emotions. Even if two or three artists should paint a ‘green sun,” I would never criticize them, for I myself may see a ‘green sun’ at some point.” As quoted in Rimer, “Three Japanese Painters in Paris,” Pilgrimages (UHPress, 1988): 28.
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Portions of this page Copyright 1995-2003 Muze Inc.For personal use only. All rights reserved.
Late 19th c. interest in color; experimentation with symbol
• How do you see these trees? They are yellow. So, put in yellow; this shadow, rather blue, paint it with pure ultramarine; these red leaves? Put in vermilion.– Purportedly Gaugan’s
suggestion to Serusier
• Paul Serusier, “Talisman” 1888
• Talisman 1888
Late 19th c. French interest in Japan
• Toulouse-Latrec, 1892 “Le Divan Japonaise”• Pierre Bonnard, 1899 “Nursemaid’s Promenade”
Fujita Tsuguji (1886-1968)
• “Assimilator”• Tsugouharu Foujita, Léonard Foujita
• Catholic convert• Opportunist?
– Leader of Army Art Association– Art in service to nat’l
defense
• 1910 graduate Tokyo School of Fine Arts, to Paris 1913
Fujita Tsuguji
• Successful painter in Paris, 1920s
• 1927 “Two Female Nudes”
• French critiques praised the blending of East and West.
Fujita Tsuguji, Saipan
Fujita’s “Attu”
Fujita Tsuguji
• 1950 returns to France, naturalizes, becomes Catholic
Saeki Yûzô (1898-1928)
• Maintain Japanese identity with sincerity
• Excelled in “academic” work
• Maurice Vlaminck advice to “develop own style”
• Returns briefly to Tokyo in 1926
• Suicide in Paris, 1928• Feted in Tokyo, 1929
Saeki YûzôLeft: Posters and the Terrace of a Café 1927 (Bridgestone
Museum)Right: Vlaminck’s 1905 Restaurant de la Machine at Bougival
Saeki Yûzô“Posters” 1927
Umehara Ryûzaburô (1888-1986)
• Synthesis with nobility of spirit?--link
Umehara Ryûzaburô 1940 Changan St., Peking
Miyamoto Saburô
• “Oil Painting” and Western inspiration• Liberty Leading the People, o/c, 1830, Musee du Louvre
• Image courtesy of Mark Harden's Artchive
Foujita and Miyamoto in Paris
Yokoyama Taikan
• Okakura Tenshin student• Widespread popularity for capturing the Japanese essence
• Link to examples• Shokodo, Ltd copyright, 2004, JAA04060, courtesy Menard Co.
Sesshu and Ryôanji--15th c.
• Matsumoto Shunsuke defense of freedom of expression through assertion of Japanese tradition of artistic subjectivity and intuition [See Sandler, “Living Artist.”]