Explore Tokyo's National Museum Of Western Art From Home

Find out more about Japan's largest collection of Western art

By Google Arts & Culture

Vétheuil (1902) by Claude MonetThe National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

Opened in 1959, The National Museum of Western Art aimed to introduce the Japanese public to the radical, colorful paintings of the Impressionists, and to the sculptures of August Rodin. 

The museum has since become a hub for exhibitions, research, restoration, education and conservation of Western art. Scroll on to explore five stunning artworks from the collections, and see if you can find them within the museum.

The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom (after Rubens) (c. 1618-20) by Jacob JordaensThe National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

'The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom' - Jordaens

It is thought that this painting dates from the earliest period of Jacob Jordaens, a young collaborator of the Flemish master, Peter Paul Rubens, around 1618-1620.

The scene depicts Lot and his family fleeing the sinful city of Sodom guided by two angels, based on the Old Testament Book of Genesis 19.

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See if you can find this Rubens-inspired masterpiece by clicking and dragging your way around the museum.

Vanitas - Still Life with Books and Manuscripts and a Skull (1663) by Edwaert CollierThe National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

'Still Life' - Evert Collier

This 1623 work is by Evert Collier, a Dutch painter who specialized in the ‘Vanitas’ style of still life. This often comprised of motifs including skeletons, globes, or musical instruments. These were issued as a warning against the vanity, hence the name.

 The objects may appear to be placed randomly but the composition is carefully arranged. A passage from Chapter 26 of ‘The Book of Psalms’ can be seen in the lower half of the picture.

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Can you find this exceptional still life in the rooms of the National Museum of Western Art? Click and drag to explore. 

On the Boat (1887) by Claude MonetThe National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

'On the Boat' - Claude Monet

Monet often painted his family boating along the Epte River, and this work is one of the best of a series called simply Boating. The image is almost dreamlike, with the color contrasts creating a freshness of tone, while the composition demonstrates Monet's study of both photography and Japanese ukiyoe prints.

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Explore this room of the gallery and try to spot Monet's On the Boat.

The Harvest (1882) by Camille PissarroThe National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

'The Harvest' - Camille Pissarro

A scene of wheat harvesting in Pontoise, a village on the outskirts of Paris, which was home to many young painters. Pissarro was resident there, setting up a studio between 1866-68 and then again in 1872-82. Several of Pissarro's characteristic features of the period are apparent in the painting, with figures coming to play a major role in his works around this time.

Several of Pissarro's characteristic features of the period are apparent in the painting, with figures becoming more and more prominent in his landscapes at this time.

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Try and find Pissarro's 'The Harvest' in this room of the gallery. 

Wooded Landscape with Abraham and Isaac (1599) by Jan Brueghel, the ElderThe National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

Did you find them all?

If not, then you can keep looking. Or to find out more about the paintings featured and plenty more in the National Museum of Western Art, click here

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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