Spring of a Main Road Spring of a Main Road (right) (1913) by Konoshima ŌkokuOriginal Source: Fukuda Art Museum, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
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A master of the early modern period, Konoshima Ōkoku (1877–1938) inherited artistic traditions while incorporating greater realism by sketching from life. He created his own distinctive realm of painting. A retrospective was held from April 26 to July 6 at the Fukuda Art Museum.
Four Women by Konoshima Ōkoku
On the right screen, one panel shows a maid walking along a gallery with a balustrade, the other a woman leaning on her elbows at a writing table. While the right screen expresses the quiet ambience of noble ladies, the left shows a woman in a juban before white bush clover.
The left panel shows a woman walking against a headwind. With a cane in hand and wearing leggings, she holds onto her hat to stop it flying off like the wind-blown leaves. The four panels render the beauty of women’s expressions, gestures, hairstyles, and clothing.
Spring Sunset by Konoshima Ōkoku
Chijitsu means a spring evening with lingering sunlight where days are gradually getting longer after midwinter. A mother and children in outfits of the Tang dynasty period are standing in the right scroll. Five geese are marching in the left scroll.
The monochrome screen is richly charged with sounds to express lively spring atmosphere; a child’s voice snuggling up to his mother, murmuring of the stream, rustling of the bamboo grass, songs of magpies resting in the cherry tree, not to mention the jolly honking of the geese.
Spring on a Main Road by Konoshima Ōkoku
At the Seventh Bunten, Ōkoku was selected to replace his teacher Keinen on the exhibition jury. That year, he displayed this folding screen depicting a scene at a roadside-inn teahouse. On the right, a groom sits leaning against a tree while two calm horses wait nearby.
On the left, travelers in Edo-period attire relax, with women lacing their sandals, ready to resume their journey. A cherry tree trunk dominates the foreground, and scattered petals suggest blooms above. The lavish materials reflect the artist’s growing confidence.
Misty Rain and Fallen Leaves Misty Rain and Fallen Leaves by Konoshima ŌkokuOriginal Source: Fukuda Art Museum, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Misty Rain and Fallen Leaves by Konoshima Ōkoku
In the screen on the right, the blooming wisteria clearly indicates the period of late spring to early summer. A male and female deer walk through misty rain. Behind them, an innocent fawn has stopped and turned its face toward the viewer.
Misty Rain and Fallen Leaves Misty Rain and Fallen Leaves by Konoshima ŌkokuOriginal Source: Fukuda Art Museum, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
The left screen shows a wintry wind in the mountains, with a monkey startled by rustling leaves. Both screens, reflecting Ōkoku’s style, have great depth. After the 1905 exhibition, the work was lost until it resurfaced in 2021.
Fukuda Art Museum
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