Naojiro Harada: Advocate of Western-Style Painting

Museum of Modern Art, Saitama

Finished

Artists

Naojiro Harada

Naojiro Harada (1863–1899) began learning French in childhood and gained exposure to Western culture at a young age. He studied oil painting under Yuichi Takahashi and enrolled in an art academy in Munich. Upon returning to Japan in 1887, Harada found a growing movement toward the preservation of traditional Japanese art and rejection of Western art, and caused a sensation with his insistence that “Western art should be promoted more.” He opened a painting school called the Shobikan at his residence in Hongo, Tokyo and worked to spread Western-style art through exhibitions of its works. Although Harada passed away at the young age of 36, during his brief career he pursued the essence of Western-style art, as seen in the incredible realist skill of paintings such as “Kutsuya no Oyaji” (The Cobbler), a work Harada created in Munich. This show, Harada’s first retrospective since the author Ogai Mori exhibited his work roughly 100 years ago, presents paintings from Harada’s early through late periods, as well as works by his students and acquaintances.

[Related Events]
A Tour of Munich with Naojiro Harada
Date: Mar. 12 (Sat) 15:00–16:30
In Japanese.

Gallery Talks by Curator
Date: Feb. 27 (Sat), Mar. 19 (Sat) 15:00–16:00
Please see the official website for details and information on more related events.

Schedule

Feb 11 (Thu) 2016-Mar 27 (Sun) 2016