Yokoyama Taikan

Infobox Artist
name = Yokoyama Taikan


imagesize = 180px
caption = Yokoyama Taikan
birthname = Sakai Hidemarō
birthdate = 2 November 1868
location = Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
deathdate = 26 February 1958
deathplace = Tokyo, Japan
nationality = Japanese
field = Painter
training =
movement = Nihonga
works =
patrons =
awards = Order of Culture, Order of the Rising Sunnihongo|Yokoyama Taikan|横山大観|Yokoyama Taikan|extra=2 November 1868 - 26 February 1958 was the pseudonym of a major figure in Meiji, Taishō and early Showa period Japanese painting. He is notable for helping create the Japanese painting technique of "Nihonga". His real name was Sakai Hidemarō.

Early life

Taikan was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture, as the eldest son of an ex"-samurai" family. He was adopted into his mother's family, from whom he received the name of “Yokoyama”. With his family, he moved to Tokyo in 1878. He studied at the "Tōkyō Furitsu Daiichi Chūgakkō" (Hibiya High School, and was interested in the English language and in western style oil painting.

In 1889, Taikan enrolled in the first graduating class of the "Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko" (the predecessor to the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music), which had just been opened by Okakura Kakuzo. In school, he studied under the Kano school artist Hashimoto Gaho.

After graduation, Taikan spent a year teaching in Kyoto, and returned to Tokyo in 1896 as assistant professor at the "Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko". He resigned his position only a year later, when his mentor, Okakura Kakuzo, was forced to resign for political reasons, and joined Okakura in establishing the Japan Fine Arts Academy ("Nihon Bijutsu-in").

After the death of his wife, Taikan traveled extensively overseas, visiting Calcutta, New York, Boston, London, Berlin and Paris.

Artistic career

In 1914, after his ouster from the "Bunten" Fine Arts Exhibition sponsored by the Ministry of Education), Yokoyama concentrated on reviving the Japan Fine Arts Academy, which had closed down upon Okakura Kakuzo's death in 1913. The annual exhibitions of the Japan Fine Arts Academy, which had the abbreviated name "Inten", became one of the most important, non-governmental outlets for young talents. One of the chief sponsors of Taikan at this time was the silk merchant and art patron Hara Tomitaro.

Taikan was extremely influential in the evolution of the "Nihonga" technique, having departed from the traditional use of the line drawing. Together with Hishida Shunso, he developed a new style, eliminating the lines and concentrating on soft, blurred polychromes. While Yokoyama's works tended to remain faithful in general to the traditional Rimpa school style, he experimented with various techniques borrowed from western painting methods. He later turned almost exclusively to monochrome ink paintings, and came to be known for his mastery of the various tones and shades of black. A number of his works have been classified as Important Cultural Properties by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

In the pre-war era, Taikan was sent to Italy by the Japanese government as an official representative of the Japanese artistic community. In 1935, he was appointed to the Imperial Arts Academy (the forerunner of the Japan Art Academy), and in 1937, He was one of the first persons to be awarded the Order of Culture when it was established in 1937. He was also awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, first class.

On 26 February 1958, Yokoyama Taikan died in Tokyo at the age of ninety; his former house is now open to the public as the Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Museum.

Philately

Several of Taikan’s works has been selected as the subjects of a commemorative postage stamps by the Japanese government:

* 1967: "Snowy Peak with Cranes" (1958), as part of the International Tourist Year commemoration, now at the Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Museum, Tokyo
* 1983: "Muga" (1896), as part of the Modern Art series, now located at the Tokyo National Museum
* 1985: "Night Sakura" (1929) se-tenant pair of stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of Radio Japan, now at Okura Shokukan Museum, Tokyo

References

* Noma, Seiroku. "Yokyama Taikan: Kodansha Library of Japanese Art". Tuttle International (1960). ASIN: B0007JIQPA
* Kimura, Ihee. "Four Japanese painters: Taikan Yokoyama, Gyokudo Kawai, Shoen Uemura, Kiyokata Kaburaki" (JPS picture books). Japan Photo Service (1939). ASIN: B000888WYA
* Yokoyama, Taikan. "Taikan: Modern master of Oriental-style painting, 1868-1958". Kodansha (1962). ASIN: B0007IX1JC

External links

* [http://www2.menard.co.jp/museum/english_french/collection/japanese_yokoyama.htm One of Yokoyama Taikan's paintings]
* [http://www.tctv.ne.jp/members/taikan/　Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Museum (Japanese site)]
* [http://ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/datas/346.html?c=15 Biography and photos from National Diet Library]
* [http://www.chitralekha.org/yokoyama.htm An Artist Remembered by Satyasri Ukil]
* [http://www.chitralekha.org/yokoyama1.htm Yokoyama Taikan: As I Knew Him by Mukul Dey]
* [http://www.chitralekha.org/indianart.htm Which Way Indian Art? by Mukul Dey]
* [http://www.chitralekha.org/hara.htm Remembering Tomitaro Hara by Satyasri Ukil]
* [http://www.chitralekha.org/hara1.htm Mukul Dey's Letter from Sankeien, Yokohama]
* [http://www.chitralekha.org/profile1.htm My Reminiscences by Mukul Dey]