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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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.”]