International studio (41.1910)

Japanese Art and Artists of To-day.—/. Painting

took a great fancy to our
art productions when he
first visited Japan some
twenty-five years ago. But
the West was acquainted
with the art of the East at
an earlier date than this.
At the Vienna Exhibition
of 1873, Japanese artists
contributed many fine ex-
amples of their work. The
singularity of treatment,
subtleness of touch, and
suggestive technique of the
works did not fail to leave
their impression upon the
artistic temperament of
those who were thus
afforded an opportunity of
studying them. Connois-
seurs, artists, and lovers of
pictures became interested
in the Japanese artist and
his creations. This appre-
ciation was happily aug-
mented by our exhibits at
the subsequent expositions
held at Chicago, Paris,
St. Louis, and elsewhere.
Now we have the display
portrait of mrs. Joseph by w. q. orchardson, r.a. at the Fine Arts Palace at

(By permission of Ms. Joseph, Shepherd's Bush, by far

the most comprehensive

ness and sincerity, will shine with its strong and Japanese artists have yet made. There is both a
mellow light. His art was like a flower—a rose, representative modern and retrospective section.
That rose is dead, but it never faded ; it died in the Indeed, every period, every school, and every style
zenith of its fragrance and its beauty. A. L. B. of our art may here be seen. The collection is

full of masterpieces, and is certainly very rich and

JAPANESE ART AND ARTISTS rare' ^av'nS received valuable contributions from
OF TO-DAY PAINTING. nuational and purivate col'ectio"s' as as from

the temples, which are the shrines of many rare
BY PROF. JIRO HARADA. worksofart.

Much has been said and written about Japanese In spite of the opportunities, however, which

paintings and Japanese drawings ever since they Occidentals have had of studying Japanese art,

became known to the world. They were intro- they have, nevertheless, failed to a great extent to

duced to Europe largely through the Western appreciate the true aspirations of our artists. This

connoisseurs, such as the late Dr. Fenollosa, who is even the case with the greater majority of the

. r ,. . , , intellectual classes. Even those who have honestly

In this series of articles modern Japanese Art will be , '

dealt with under its various aspects. The present article on endeavoured to grasp the true meaning of the

Tainting, by Professor Jiro Harada, of the Nagoya College of creations of our artists, and have plunged deeply

Technology, who is now in London with the Imperial Japanese int0 the subject, have only lost their way in the

Commission for the Japan-British Exhibition, will he followed i_ :u lL .1 u j tu- r 1

, .. n. 01 • a .01 , ^ ■ bewildering paths they have pursued. I his failure

by others on the Glyptic Arts (Sculpture, Ivory Carving, 01 ' r

Wood Carving, etc.), Textiles and Embroidery, Ceramics, to SrasP the essence of Japanese art is, after all, a

Bronzes and Enamels, by Japanese and European writers. natural one. To really Understand the civilisation

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