TAB Event - "Yo-ga from the Meiji Period - Comprehension to Appreciation" Exhibition

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At Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki
Media: Painting

While there have been many exhibitions of yo-ga (western style painting) from the Meiji period (1868-1912) curated according to historical groupings, artist groups, and individuals, this exhibition approaches works created in this period focusing on how paintings were viewed by the public back then, shedding light on the role of the audience and art appreciation.
In the Meiji period, many works dealing with landmark locations, mythology, and history were created. These paintings clearly visualized people's conceptions of historical sites such as Enoshima island and Ueno Tosho Shrine, which they knew through sightseeing or ukiyo-e, as well as mythological and historical stories they heard of or read about. They "comprehended" what was depicted in yo-ga paintings, reflecting on their own knowledge of the subjects and sharing the experience with others by seeing them.
Paintings that depict mundane, non-specific landscapes began to be created during the same period. The significance of place became no longer crucial. Viewers saw the scenery through the eye of the painter, discovering its beauty in their own ways. Also, motifs of a woman reading a book became very common, depicting them in various poses. These works depicted more than mere figure studies, evoking the psychological states of these females. We can see how viewer's approach toward "art appreciation" changed as such psychologically evocative works emerged.
This exhibition aims to look at Meiji yo-ga paintings from two viewpoints, first as works that are concluded by viewer's "comprehension" through the content, and the second as works that invite viewers to "appreciate" the psychological depiction. While exploring the relationship between the Meiji yo-ga and the viewers of that time, it is hoped that viewers will take a moment to think about how we view artwork today.

[Image: Takeshiro Kanokogi "Tsu Station (Haruko)" (1898) Mie Prefectural Art Museum]

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