Tokyo Art by Meiji Born Artists

Tokyo Art by Meiji Born Artists

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Inoue Yasuji (1864-1889) produced amazing prints during his short life. He sadly died in his mid-twenties. Hence, one can only imagine the heights he would have reached.

The Ota Memorial Museum of Art says, “Ukiyo-e artists such as Inoue Yasuji (1864-89) and Ogura Ryūson (date of birth and death unknown) followed after Kiyochika. Although the popularity of ray painting lasted only five years, it developed new possibilities for woodblock prints, and it should be regarded as the forerunner of the genre of “shin-hanga” (new prints) in the Taisho and Showa eras that have been the focus of much attention in recent years…”

Maeda Masao (1904-1974) was born in Hakodate in the prefecture of Hokkaido. He was influenced and inspired by Hiratsuka Un’ichi (1895-1997) and Umehara Ryuzaburo (1888-1986) – who outlived Maeda.

Maeda Masao depicts the Red Gate (Tokyo University) in all its sophistication. It is difficult to imagine that Tokyo would soon face being carpet bombed by America concerning the brutal war that killed so many innocents.

All three artists (printmakers) were born in the Meiji Period – and all art pieces focus on different angles of Tokyo. The above print is by Sakuichi Fukazawa (1896–1947).

The British Museum says, “Fukazawa was born in Niigata Prefecture, but his parents moved soon after to Tokyo, where he attended Tokyo Central School of Commerce and Industry.”

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