Yokoyama Taikan - A Master of Modern Nihonga

Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958) was born in Mito in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. He entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts?f first class when it opened in 1889. He participated in the establishment of the Japan Art Institute (Nihon Bijutsu-in) that Okakura Tenshin founded in 1898. Under the tutorage of Tenshin, Taikan pursued the creation of new Nihonga (Japanese-style painting), utilizing traditional Japanese art based on Kano school, as well as Western art, but the Institute?fs activities were halted due to its financial difficulties. Taikan, who was active at the Bunten (Ministry of Education Exhibition) which was founded in 1907, reorganized the Institute in 1914 to mark the first anniversary of Tenshin?fs death. Since then Taikan played a significant role as a leader of the art world in Japan. He was conferred the first Cultural Medal in 1937. The exhibition shows his masterpieces, ?gCherry Blossoms at Night?h and ?gAutumn Glory?h together for the first time in the Kansai area and it also presents 60 outstanding paintings including new discoveries. The exhibition tries to verify his great achievement by following the footsteps of Taikan who built his unique dynamic style on Oriental idealism. Pressetext

Yokoyama Taikan - A Master of Modern Nihonga
Ko-Organisator: Asahi Shimbun