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Collection GalleryThe 4th Collection Gallery Exhibition 2013-2014 (129 works in all)

Collection Gallery

The 4th Collection Gallery Exhibition 2013-2014 (129 works in all)

Exhibition Period

2013/11/1 (Fri.) - 2014/1/13 (Mon.)

First:   2013/11/1 (Fri.) - 2013/12/1 (Sun.)
Second: 2013/12/3 (Tue.) — 2014/1/13 (Mon./Holiday)

Overview

The 4th Collection Gallery Exhibition of this year will be held at a reduced scale, since approximately half of the exhibition space will be used for the special exhibition entitled "Treasures of the Imperial Collections – The Quintessence of Modern Japanese Art."

The section for yōga (Western-style painting) features works by Suda Kunitaro, under the title "Selected Masterpieces of Modern Japanese Oil Paintings IV." Born in Nakagyo ward, Kyoto City, Suda Kunitaro entered Kyoto Imperial University upon his graduation from the Third High School. He majored in aesthetics and art history at the university, and later learned various painting techniques by himself and at Kansai Bijutsuin (Kansai Art Institute). He then studied in Madrid, Spain, learning the Venetian school of painting represented by artists such as Tiziano at Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado), and Spanish art represented by artists such as Velázquez and Ribera. What he accomplished in Spain was reflected in his rough brush strokes, which accentuated the mass of his subjects, and by his dignified tonality, which was based on the use of deep colors. Even though Suda thoroughly studied western painting techniques, the themes of his paintings were familiar scenes and customs such as the scenery of Higashiyama, ancient log storehouses, and animals at the Kyoto City Zoo. While engaging in various creative projects as a member of the Dokuritsu Art Association, he also taught western art history at Kyoto University and Kyoto City University of Fine Arts (currently Kyoto City University of Arts). He was the most representative painter who had been born and grew up in Kyoto and exerted an immeasurable influence on aspiring artists in Kyoto during and after World War II.

 須田国太郎、修復師
SUDA Kunitaro, Repairman of Budda Statue (1938)


The section of nihonga (Japanese-style paintings) features artists affiliated with the Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai (Society for Creating a National Style of Painting) as a continuation of the "selected masterpieces exhibition in commemoration of the 50th anniversary," which is divided into 2 periods. The Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai was established in 1918 by young nihonga painters who were dissatisfied with the judging and reviews of the government-sponsored Bunten exhibition (predecessor to the present Nitten). Their artwork, which was based on their voracious study and research of not only western art but also various expressions and techniques such as the brushwork of the Yuan and Song dynasties, breathed new life into the traditional world of nihonga at that time. For the 1st period, works by charter members, including Tsuchida Bakusen, Ono Chikkyo, Murakami Kagaku, Nonagase Banka, Sakakibara Shiho, and their first inducted member, Irie Hako, are featured. The second period features the next generation of artists who sympathized with the philosophy of the Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai and achieved success through the presentation of their works in the society's exhibitions (Kokuten), including artists such as Kainosho Tadaoto, Okamoto Shinso, Suita Soboku, and Inagaki Chusei.

The Craft section is entitled “Ceramic Works by Kawai Kanjiro and the Early Avant-garde Ceramic Movement.” Vase and bowls glazed with beautiful colors that are different from Kawai Kanjiro's typical works, and representative works from his prewar days as well as rubbed copies are exhibited. In addition, works related to the avant-garde ceramic movement, which started to grow at such organizations as the "Rekitei Art Association" at the same time as the development of Kanjiro's Mingei (folk craft) movement, and which became connected to the Sodeisha movement in the postwar period, are on display. Visitors are encouraged to examine their attempts to both master, and transcend the concept of "vessels" as the confronted tradition during the turbulent period before and during the war.

At present, our collection of photography exceeds 1900 works, and has become one of the most important photography collections in Japan. Compared with other genres of art, however, the history of the collection is rather short, dating back to 1986 when 1000 photographs collected by Chicago-based architect and photographer Arnold Gilbert and his wife were donated to our museum by Kyocera Corporation. Centering on the Gilbert Collection, we feature representative photographic masterpieces of our museum, many of which visitors may well have seen elsewhere before, such as Alfred Stieglitz's "The Steerage," Edward Weston's "Nude," Ansel Adam's imposing landscapes, Drothea Lange’s "Migrant Mother" and Robert Capa's "Falling Soldier."

Edward Weston, Nude, 1936
Edward WESTON, Nude (1936)
Werner BISCHOF, Flute Player near Cuzco, Peru, Peru, 1954
Werner BISCHOF,
Flute Player near Cuzco, Peru, (1954)

Themes of Exhibition

CGfloormap
[A] Selected Masterpieces of Japanese Oil
  Paintings from the Museum Collection IV
  ―Art World of SUDA Kunitaro

[B] Ceramic Works by KAWAI Kanjiro and
  Early Avant-garde Ceramic Movement

[C] Imaging World through the lens
  - From the Museum Collection of Photography

[D] Japanese-style Paintings of Members and
  Friends of Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai

[Outside] Outdoor sculpture


List of Exhibits

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