Hello everyone! This is Ikuko sending a Shukado news letter No.20.
Shukado today in one word:"BUSY". BUSY, BUSY and again BUSY!!!
The summer break is over and now we are busy preparing for the publication
of our new catalog to be issued this week. We Shukado is busy preparing
for the art fair next month. Autumn is the best season for art in Japan.
We will do our BEST for it!
When I hear "art fair", the art fair in Moscow that I visited last
June comes to my mind. " Many celebrities and a Gorgeous atmospher "
says it all for this art fair.
**President blog:
http://japanese-finearts.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.htmlYou can read our news letter about Moscow art fair here. Click now!
Moscow is a city I used to live. However, today's current situation
and the situation in the 90's in Russia are comletely different. I
can't believe today in Moscow a "million fair" where every elavolate
item is listed as a million dollars is popular.
I can communicate both in English and Russian, so if you feel more
comfortable communicating with us in Russian, please feel free to
contact us in Russian.
Anyway, I promised in our news letter No.17 to buy some interesting
items in the ukiyo-e market. At the previous ukiyoe exchange market,
we were able to finally win the bid for Kiyochika’s war prints and we have
it at Shukado now!
**Our New Arrival of Kiyochika:
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/search.php?md=0917There were so many ukiyoe prints listed for the bid. My boss and I
had the same strategy, so we won the bid for Kiyochika's work.
I would like to talk about Kiyochika in this news letter.
Kobayashi Kiyochika was born in Edo in 1847. He studied photographs
under Shimooka Renjyo, oil paintings under British artist, Charles
Wirgman and Japanese paintings under Kawanabe Kyosai and Shibara
Zeshin. However, he was basically a self-taught painter. He pursued
his own artistic expressions after occasionally studying under
great artists.
He gained his fame when he created a new genre of western style
woodblock paints called “Kousen-ga” which employs introducing
western perspectives and shading to express moving light and shade.
To say it briefly, he tried to depict landscape or objects in
western style with the method of woodblock printing.
Even though you do not know about Kiyochika, many of you probably
know about artworks of Impressionist artists. If you imagine if
someone were to create woodblock prints of such artworks, you may
think it is impossible. However, Kiyochika did his best to follow
the style of Impressionist artists. He captured visual features of
the light and shade and changing light and colors in details, and
introduced new techniques to skillfully depict texture of the
objects in his artworks.
If you take a close look at Kiyochika’s artworks, they would look
as if they were the wood block prints created by Impressionist
artists who were good at depicting natural lights, change of colors
and contrast between light and shade in details. It is an
interesting fact that the French Impressionists’ Exhibition held
in France in 1876 coincided with the time Kiyochika showed his
Kousen-ga for the first time to the public in Japan.
When Japanese-Sino War began in 1894, the ukiyoe prints, which were
losing popularity, became popular again as one type of mass media.
Then many war prints were created by wood block artists and
Kiyochika was one of them. He created many war prints in 1894 and
1895.
Kiyochika’s war prints were not just print media to disseminate
news on the war. But also great artworks that evoke viewers’ deep
feelings and sorrow like what people feel when they see the
historical paintings. No other artists expressed people’s emotions
better than Kiyochika in the war prints.
He did a great job to depict details of the battle scene. To give a
few example:moving shadow of soldiers fighting in the sunset,
texture of the burning fire, very lively comprehensive composition
and fireballs flying in the sky. In particular, each fireball was
depicted so skillfully!! You will be surprised to see his techniques
when looking at such a print.
Please look at such detail of his work.
**More photo:
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list3/108003980/I still clearly remember the day when I first saw Kiyochika’s
Kosen-ga at Shukado. Delicate gradation of light was so wonderfully
depicted by his printing techniques that I could not believe it was
possible with the wood block prints. It was a touching moment for
me.
It was a very special print being full of sentiments and I was
curious about who will buy this special artwork. One day an
overseas customer who dropped in our gallery in Ginza saw this
Kiyochika’s print and he was so amazed by his wonderful skills in
expressing light. Although this customer did not even know his name,
he bought this print and today he became a big fan of Kiyochika.
**Shukado Kiyochika's collection:
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/sp/list.php?spid=S4759120b1fe83Thank you for taking the time to read our news letter.
The beginning of the month we have many art market here in Tokyo.
Our chairman and director are trying to get new items almost every
day.
We will be very happy if you keep visit our site and enjoy shopping
with us.
We are looking forward to hearing from YOU.
Have a great week!!
Ikuko Kuwata-Kelly
