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Arai Kanpo
Samurai Walking in Snow — Forty-seven Ronin Memorial Series, 1920

1920-1921

About the Item

Arai Kanpo, 'Samurai Walking in the Snow' from 'Gishi Taikan' (Pictures of Loyal Followers), Forty-Seven Ronin Memorial Series, color woodblock print, 1920. Signed Kanpo with the artist's seal, lower left. Published by Gishi Shuppan-Bu. A fine impression, with fresh colors; the background with extensive bokashi (subtle gradations) and the snowflakes rendered in 'gofun' splashes of white pigment; on cream wove Japan paper; the full sheet, printed to the sheet edges, in very good condition. Archivally sleeved, unmatted. Image size 10 x 13 13/16 inches. ABOUT THE ARTIST Kampo Arai (1878 - 1945) was born in Tochigi prefecture into a family of painters and became a well-established Japanese Nihonga (traditional style) painter. In the early Meiji Period, following the Buncho ideal of hasshu kengaku (learning eight schools), Kanpo expanded his talents to incorporate Western painting techniques and began studying oil painting with Kawakami Togai (1827-1881) and Kunisawa Shinkuro (1847-1877). He achieved notable recognition as an oil painter and was awarded the honor of painting a portrait of the Empress Dowager. Later Kanpo returned to Nihonga and continued to receive numerous honors for his work. He was awarded a silver medal (2nd place) at the Tokyo Prefecture Crafts Competition in 1887, 2nd place with a painting of peacocks at the 3rd Domestic Industrial Exposition in 1890, and many other prizes at the Japan Art Association over the years. His paintings were also included in international exhibitions; he won awards at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, and the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. In 1898 when Hashimoto Gaho left the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko), Kanpo became the professor of painting. In 1900 he was made Imperial Household Artist (Teishitsu Gigeiin), and from 1907 he was a judge at the government-sponsored exhibition Bunten. Rabindranath Tagore visited Japan in 1916 and became enamored with the paintings of Yokoyama Taikan and Kanzan Shimomura, the two most famous 'Nihonga' (traditional style) painters. Kanpo was commissioned by the art connoisseur Tomitaro Hara to copy two paintings by the artists for Tagore to take back to India. On his invitation, Arai visited Tagore in Kolkata, India, and traveled around India from 1916 to 1918, painting as he went. Kanpo was a member of The Japan Art Institute 'Nihon Bijutsuin', an organization devoted to promoting traditional Japanese-style painting. His work was featured by the Yokohama Museum of Art in Japan.
  • Creator:
    Arai Kanpo (1878 - 1945, Japanese)
  • Creation Year:
    1920-1921
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 13.82 in (35.11 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 981961stDibs: LU532312717932
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