Kuroda Seiki
Encyclopedia
Viscount was the pseudonym
of a Japanese
painter and teacher, noted for bringing Western theories about art to a wide Japanese audience. He was among the leaders of the yōga
(or Western-style) movement in late 19th- and early 20th-century Japanese painting
. His real name was Kuroda Kiyoteru.
), as the son of a samurai
of the Shimazu clan
, Kuroda Kiyokane, and his wife Yaeko. At birth, the boy was named Shintarō; this was changed to Kiyoteru in 1877, when he was 11.
Even before his birth, Kuroda had been chosen by his paternal uncle, Kuroda Kiyotsuna, as heir; formally, he was adopted in 1871, after traveling to Tokyo
with both his birth mother and adoptive mother to live at his uncle's estate. Kiyotsuna was also a Shimazu
retainer, whose services to Emperor Meiji
in the Bakumatsu period and at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
led to his appointment to high posts in the new imperial government; in 1887 he was named a viscount
. Because of his position, the elder Kuroda was exposed to many of the modernizing trends and ideas coming into Japan during the early Meiji period
; as his heir, young Kiyoteru also learned from them and took his lessons to heart.
In his early teens, Kuroda began to learn the English language
in preparation for his university studies; within two years, however, he had chosen to switch to French
instead. At 17, he enrolled in pre-college courses in French, as preparation for his planned legal studies in college. Consequently, when in 1884 Kuroda's brother-in-law Hashiguchi Naouemon was appointed to the French Legation, it was decided that Kuroda would accompany him and his wife to Paris
to begin his real studies of law. He arrived in Paris on March 18, 1884, and was to remain there for the next decade.
. All three urged the young student to turn to painting, saying that he could better help his country by learning to paint like a Westerner rather than learning law. Kuroda agreed, formally abandoning his studies for the study of painting in August 1887 after trying, and failing, to reach a compromise between the two to please his father. In May 1886, Kuroda entered the studio of Raphael Collin
, a noted Academic art
painter who had shown work in several Paris Salon
s. Kuroda was not the only Japanese painter studying under Collin at the time; Fuji Masazo was also one of his pupils.
, newly arrived in France, who also joined Collin's studio. The two became friends, and soon became roommates as well. It was during these years that he began to mature as a painter, following the traditional course of study in Academic art while also discovering plein-air painting. In 1890 Kuroda moved from Paris to the village of Grez-sur-Loing
, an artists' colony which had been formed by painters from the United States
and from northern Europe
. Here he found inspiration in the landscape, as well as a young woman, Maria Billault, who became one of his best models.
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In 1893, Kuroda returned to Paris and began work on his most important painting to date, Morning Toilette. This large work, which was sadly destroyed in World War II
, was accepted with great praise by the Académie des Beaux-Arts
; Kuroda intended to bring it home with him to Japan to shatter the Japanese prejudice against the depiction of the nude figure. With the painting in hand, he set out for home via the United States, arriving in July 1893.
to soak up the local culture, which he had missed after spending a full third of his life abroad. He translated what he saw into some of his best paintings, such as A Maiko Girl (n.d., Tokyo National Museum
) and Talk on Ancient Romance (1898, destroyed). At the same time, Kuroda was taking on an ever-greater role as a reformer; as one of the few Japanese artists who had studied in Paris, he was thus uniquely qualified to teach his countrymen about what was going on in the Western art world at the time. Furthermore, Kuroda was prepared to teach painting, passing the lessons he had learned along to a new generation of painters. He took over the painting school founded by Yamamoto Hosui, the Seikokan, and renamed it the Tenshin Dojo; the two men together became its directors. The school was modeled on Western precepts, and students were taught the basics of plein-air painting.
Until Kuroda's return to Japan, the prevalent style was based on the Barbizon School
, which were advocated by the Italian
artist Antonio Fontanesi at the Kobu Bijutsu Gakko from 1876. Kuroda's style of bright color tones emphasizing the changes of light and atmosphere were considered revolutionary.
Further controversy erupted in October of the same year, when Kuroda exhibited 21 of his works done in Europe at the 7th Exhibition of the Meiji Bijutsukai (Japan's only group of Western-style painters at the time). Kume entered some of his work in the exhibition, as did several students at the Tenshin Dojo. Visitors were struck by the vast differences between Kuroda's plein-air-derived style and the more formal work of the other artists, leading critics to focus on the difference as one between the old and the new. Some even went so far as to suggest a factional difference between two "schools" of painting.
Displeased by the bureaucratic methods inherent in the hierarchy of the Meiji Bijutsukai, Kuroda spearheaded the formation of a new artists' society the following year; he was joined in his effort by Kume, as well as by a number of their students. The new group was christened Hakubakai, after a brand of unrefined sake called Shirouma favored by the men. The Hakubakai had no set rules; rather, it was a free, equal gathering of like-thinking artists whose only goal was to find a way for members to display their works. The group held exhibitions every year until it dissolved in 1911; in total, thirteen shows were set up. A number of artists received their first exposure in these exhibitions; among them were Fujishima Takeji
and Aoki Shigeru.
), and Kuroda was invited to become its director. This allowed him to design an even broader curriculum, meant for general students of art, and to be better equipped to reach a broader public. An academic role, with its emphasis on structure and conformity, contrasted with the painter's focus on individuality, but Kuroda nonetheless approached his new role with zeal. Kuroda also insisted that courses in anatomy
and the sketching of a live nude model were included in the curriculum.
Ultimately, Kuroda set as his goal the teaching of history painting
, feeling that it was the most important genre for students to learn. In his opinion, paintings depicting myths, history, or themes such as love or courage, in which figures painted in poses and compositions reflecting these issues had the highest social value. Coinciding with this was the creation of one of his most ambitious works, the Talk on Ancient Romance. The painting was a large undertaking; it seems to have been among the first for which Kuroda employed charcoal drawings and oil sketches. He would go on to employ this technique in most of his later work, teaching it to his students as well. Talk on Ancient Romance appears to have been intended as a wall panel; as with much of Kuroda's work, it was destroyed during World War II
, leaving only preparatory studies to indicate its possible grandeur.
Kuroda was by this time well-regarded not only by the Japanese, but by the art world at large; his triptych Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment (completed 1900) was exhibited alongside his 1897 work Lakeside at the International Exposition held in 1900 in Paris
; it received a silver medal. In 1907, members of Hakubakai, Kuroda among them, exhibited in the first Bunten exhibition, sponsored by the Ministry of Education
; their continued participation led to the disbanding of the group in 1911. Meanwhile, Kuroda had been appointed a court painter
at the Imperial Court in 1910, becoming the first yōga artist so honored. From then until the end of his life his artistic activities were curtailed; he became more of a politician and an administrator, only creating small works intended for display. In 1920, he was appointed to the House of Peers
; in 1922, he was made head of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy. In 1923, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur
; this followed numerous other honors from the French government in the years before. Kuroda died at home in Azabukogaicho on July 15, 1924; immediately upon his death the Japanese government conferred a decoration upon him.
, owed much to his academic training as well. Generally speaking, his plein-air works are more painterly
, less finished, than his more formal compositions. Stylistically, he can be said to owe much to painters like Edouard Manet
, as well as to the Barbizon School
and his teacher Collin.
, even went as far as going to Grez-sur-Loing for inspiration.
Perhaps Kuroda's greatest contribution to Japanese culture, however, was the acceptance of Western-style painting he fostered on the part of the Japanese public. Despite their initial reluctance, he was able to convince them to accept the validity of the nude figure as a subject for art. This, coupled with the honors bestowed upon him later in his life, bespeak a broader understanding by the Japanese people, and by their government, as to the importance of yōga in their culture.
Art-name
An art-name is a pseudonym, or penname, used by an East Asian artist, which they sometimes change. The word and the idea to use a pseudonym originated from China, then became popular in other East Asian countries ....
of a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
painter and teacher, noted for bringing Western theories about art to a wide Japanese audience. He was among the leaders of the yōga
Yoga (art)
or literally "Western-style paintings" is a term used to describe paintings by Japanese artists that have been made in accordance with Western traditional conventions, techniques and materials...
(or Western-style) movement in late 19th- and early 20th-century Japanese painting
Japanese painting
is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese visual arts, encompassing a wide variety of genres and styles. As with the history of Japanese arts in general, the long history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of...
. His real name was Kuroda Kiyoteru.
Early years
Kuroda was born in Takamibaba, Satsuma domain, (present day Kagoshima PrefectureKagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
), as the son of a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
of the Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
, Kuroda Kiyokane, and his wife Yaeko. At birth, the boy was named Shintarō; this was changed to Kiyoteru in 1877, when he was 11.
Even before his birth, Kuroda had been chosen by his paternal uncle, Kuroda Kiyotsuna, as heir; formally, he was adopted in 1871, after traveling to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
with both his birth mother and adoptive mother to live at his uncle's estate. Kiyotsuna was also a Shimazu
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
retainer, whose services to Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
in the Bakumatsu period and at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
Battle of Toba-Fushimi
The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 , when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa domains clashed near Fushimi...
led to his appointment to high posts in the new imperial government; in 1887 he was named a viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
. Because of his position, the elder Kuroda was exposed to many of the modernizing trends and ideas coming into Japan during the early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
; as his heir, young Kiyoteru also learned from them and took his lessons to heart.
In his early teens, Kuroda began to learn the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in preparation for his university studies; within two years, however, he had chosen to switch to French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
instead. At 17, he enrolled in pre-college courses in French, as preparation for his planned legal studies in college. Consequently, when in 1884 Kuroda's brother-in-law Hashiguchi Naouemon was appointed to the French Legation, it was decided that Kuroda would accompany him and his wife to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to begin his real studies of law. He arrived in Paris on March 18, 1884, and was to remain there for the next decade.
Studies in Paris
By early 1886 Kuroda had decided to abandon the study of law for a career as a painter; he had had painting lessons in his youth, and had been given a watercolor set by his adoptive mother as a present upon leaving for Paris, but he had never considered painting as anything more than a hobby. However, in February 1886 Kuroda was attending a party at the Japanese legation for Japanese nationals in Paris; here, he met the painters Yamamoto Hosui and Fuji Masazo, as well as art dealer Hayashi Tadamasa, a specialist in ukiyo-eUkiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
. All three urged the young student to turn to painting, saying that he could better help his country by learning to paint like a Westerner rather than learning law. Kuroda agreed, formally abandoning his studies for the study of painting in August 1887 after trying, and failing, to reach a compromise between the two to please his father. In May 1886, Kuroda entered the studio of Raphael Collin
Raphaël Collin
Raphaël Collin was born and raised in Paris, where he became a prominent academic painter and in later life a professor at the Académie des Beaux-Arts...
, a noted Academic art
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
painter who had shown work in several Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
s. Kuroda was not the only Japanese painter studying under Collin at the time; Fuji Masazo was also one of his pupils.
Kuroda and Impressionism
In 1886, Kuroda met another young Japanese painter, Kume KeiichiroKume Keiichiro
was a Japanese painter of Meiji to Shōwa periods. His father was Kume Kunitake, a historian.Born in Hizen , he studied abroad in Paris, learning techniques from Raphaël Collin in the Académie Colarossi. He lived in Paris, Barcelona and Île-de-Bréhat before going back to Japan in 1893. Back in...
, newly arrived in France, who also joined Collin's studio. The two became friends, and soon became roommates as well. It was during these years that he began to mature as a painter, following the traditional course of study in Academic art while also discovering plein-air painting. In 1890 Kuroda moved from Paris to the village of Grez-sur-Loing
Grez-sur-Loing
Grez-sur-Loing is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in north-central France.-People:It is located 70 km south of Paris and is notable for the artists and musicians who have lived or stayed there...
, an artists' colony which had been formed by painters from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and from northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Here he found inspiration in the landscape, as well as a young woman, Maria Billault, who became one of his best models.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was accepted with great praise by the Académie des Beaux-Arts
Académie des beaux-arts
The Académie des Beaux-Arts is a French learned society. It is one of the five academies of the Institut de France.It was created in 1795 as the merger of the:* Académie de peinture et de sculpture...
; Kuroda intended to bring it home with him to Japan to shatter the Japanese prejudice against the depiction of the nude figure. With the painting in hand, he set out for home via the United States, arriving in July 1893.
Back in Japan
Soon after arriving at home, Kuroda traveled to KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
to soak up the local culture, which he had missed after spending a full third of his life abroad. He translated what he saw into some of his best paintings, such as A Maiko Girl (n.d., Tokyo National Museum
Tokyo National Museum
Established 1872, the , or TNM, is the oldest and largest museum in Japan. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure...
) and Talk on Ancient Romance (1898, destroyed). At the same time, Kuroda was taking on an ever-greater role as a reformer; as one of the few Japanese artists who had studied in Paris, he was thus uniquely qualified to teach his countrymen about what was going on in the Western art world at the time. Furthermore, Kuroda was prepared to teach painting, passing the lessons he had learned along to a new generation of painters. He took over the painting school founded by Yamamoto Hosui, the Seikokan, and renamed it the Tenshin Dojo; the two men together became its directors. The school was modeled on Western precepts, and students were taught the basics of plein-air painting.
Until Kuroda's return to Japan, the prevalent style was based on the Barbizon School
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of a movement towards realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870...
, which were advocated by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artist Antonio Fontanesi at the Kobu Bijutsu Gakko from 1876. Kuroda's style of bright color tones emphasizing the changes of light and atmosphere were considered revolutionary.
Controversy
In April 1895, Kuroda helped to organize the 4th Domestic Exposition to Promote Industry, held in Kyoto; he also submitted Morning Toilette for exhibition in the same venue. Although he was awarded a prize for the painting, the exhibition of a picture of a nude woman before so many visitors outraged many, and led to a furor in the press where critics condemned the perceived flaunting of social standards. None criticized the technical aspects of the painting, choosing instead to lambaste Kuroda for its subject matter. Kume, Kuroda's friend from his Paris days, wrote a spirited defense of the nude figure in art for newspaper publication, but this helped little. For his part, Kuroda maintained a public silence on the issue; privately, however, he expressed the opinion that morally, at least, he had won the day.Further controversy erupted in October of the same year, when Kuroda exhibited 21 of his works done in Europe at the 7th Exhibition of the Meiji Bijutsukai (Japan's only group of Western-style painters at the time). Kume entered some of his work in the exhibition, as did several students at the Tenshin Dojo. Visitors were struck by the vast differences between Kuroda's plein-air-derived style and the more formal work of the other artists, leading critics to focus on the difference as one between the old and the new. Some even went so far as to suggest a factional difference between two "schools" of painting.
Displeased by the bureaucratic methods inherent in the hierarchy of the Meiji Bijutsukai, Kuroda spearheaded the formation of a new artists' society the following year; he was joined in his effort by Kume, as well as by a number of their students. The new group was christened Hakubakai, after a brand of unrefined sake called Shirouma favored by the men. The Hakubakai had no set rules; rather, it was a free, equal gathering of like-thinking artists whose only goal was to find a way for members to display their works. The group held exhibitions every year until it dissolved in 1911; in total, thirteen shows were set up. A number of artists received their first exposure in these exhibitions; among them were Fujishima Takeji
Fujishima Takeji
was a Japanese painter, noted for his work in developing Romanticism and impressionism within the yōga art movement in late 19th- and early 20th-century Japanese painting...
and Aoki Shigeru.
Academic career
In 1896, a Department of Western Painting was formed at the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko (the forerunner of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and MusicTokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
or is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju, Adachi, Tokyo...
), and Kuroda was invited to become its director. This allowed him to design an even broader curriculum, meant for general students of art, and to be better equipped to reach a broader public. An academic role, with its emphasis on structure and conformity, contrasted with the painter's focus on individuality, but Kuroda nonetheless approached his new role with zeal. Kuroda also insisted that courses in anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
and the sketching of a live nude model were included in the curriculum.
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
, feeling that it was the most important genre for students to learn. In his opinion, paintings depicting myths, history, or themes such as love or courage, in which figures painted in poses and compositions reflecting these issues had the highest social value. Coinciding with this was the creation of one of his most ambitious works, the Talk on Ancient Romance. The painting was a large undertaking; it seems to have been among the first for which Kuroda employed charcoal drawings and oil sketches. He would go on to employ this technique in most of his later work, teaching it to his students as well. Talk on Ancient Romance appears to have been intended as a wall panel; as with much of Kuroda's work, it was destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, leaving only preparatory studies to indicate its possible grandeur.
Later career
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
; it received a silver medal. In 1907, members of Hakubakai, Kuroda among them, exhibited in the first Bunten exhibition, sponsored by the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....
; their continued participation led to the disbanding of the group in 1911. Meanwhile, Kuroda had been appointed a court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
at the Imperial Court in 1910, becoming the first yōga artist so honored. From then until the end of his life his artistic activities were curtailed; he became more of a politician and an administrator, only creating small works intended for display. In 1920, he was appointed to the House of Peers
House of Peers (Japan)
The ' was the upper house of the Imperial Diet as mandated under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan ....
; in 1922, he was made head of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy. In 1923, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
; this followed numerous other honors from the French government in the years before. Kuroda died at home in Azabukogaicho on July 15, 1924; immediately upon his death the Japanese government conferred a decoration upon him.
Work
For most of his career, Kuroda painted in a style which, though basically ImpressionisticImpressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
, owed much to his academic training as well. Generally speaking, his plein-air works are more painterly
Painterly
Painterliness is a translation of the German term , a word popularized by Swiss art historian Heinrich Wölfflin in order to help focus, enrich and standardize the terms being used by art historians of his time to characterize works of art...
, less finished, than his more formal compositions. Stylistically, he can be said to owe much to painters like Edouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
, as well as to the Barbizon School
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of a movement towards realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870...
and his teacher Collin.
Legacy
Few artists have had an impact on Japanese art comparable to that made by Kuroda. As a painter, he was among the first to introduce Western-style paintings to a broad Japanese audience. As a teacher, he taught many young artists the lessons that he himself had learned in Paris; among his students were painters like Wada Eisaku, who were to become among the preeminent Japanese painters of their generation. Many students also followed Kuroda in choosing to study in Paris, leading to a greater awareness of broader trends in Western art on the part of many Japanese artists in the twentieth century; a number of these, such as Asai ChūAsai Chū
was a Japanese painter, noted for his pioneering work in developing the yōga art movement in late 19th century and early twentieth-century Japanese painting.-Biography:...
, even went as far as going to Grez-sur-Loing for inspiration.
Perhaps Kuroda's greatest contribution to Japanese culture, however, was the acceptance of Western-style painting he fostered on the part of the Japanese public. Despite their initial reluctance, he was able to convince them to accept the validity of the nude figure as a subject for art. This, coupled with the honors bestowed upon him later in his life, bespeak a broader understanding by the Japanese people, and by their government, as to the importance of yōga in their culture.
Philately
Two of Kuroda's works have been selected as the subject of a commemorative postage stamps by the Japanese government:- 1967: Lakeside, (1897), for the 1967 Philatelic Week
- 1980: Maiko (1893), for the Modern Art Series
External links
- http://www.tobunken.go.jp/kuroda/index_e.htmlHomepage of the Kuroda Memorial Hall in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, containing a biography, analysis of selected works, and images of portions of the collection (in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, and JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
)] - National Diet Library photo and bio