In the Meiji Period, many outstanding British artists including the watercolour painter Alfred Parsons visited Japan. The treatment of natural themes in the art of this hitherto unknown country and the humble way of life of the Japanese people made a deep impression, prompting these artists to make them the subjects of their paintings. In turn, this served to spark a boom in watercolour painting in the latter part of the Meiji Period, as young Japanese artists such as Katsumi Miyake were inspired to paint landscapes in Western artistic style. Many of these paintings which depicted “beautiful Meiji” found their way overseas, but in recent years, some of them have begun to return home, shedding new light on the history of watercolour in the Meiji Period. A total of 350 pieces from both the earlier and later periods, grouped thematically, are on show in this exhibition, allowing visitors to see and experience what the Meiji Period was really like, as if they were travelling back in time.
Dates: Saturday 14 September – Sunday 1 December 2019
Venue: Fuchu Art Museum (in Japanese)