Museums

Odano Naotake, Shinobazu Pond, Akita Museum of Modern Art

Akita Ranga is a style of Western-influenced painting developed by the lords and samurais of the Akita Domain from the mid to late Edo period (18th and 19th centuries). The cultural exchange with the Dutch merchants of Nagasaki in the 18th century led to the flourishing of Dutch studies in the city of Edo (present day Tokyo). Odano Naotake was a samurai of the Akita Domain who learned Western and Nanpin painting techniques through Hiraga Gennai. He merged these styles to create works with beautiful depictions and a unique sense of reality. This painting is one of the most representative pieces of Akita Ranga and is notable for being the largest in size.

This work features potted flowers set against the backdrop of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno. The entire painting is delicately crafted with fine lines in the style of Western copperplate engravings, detailed enough to discern even the smallest motifs in the background. It combines Western techniques of shading and perspective with the depiction style of the Chinese Nanpin painting, creating a realistically portrayed space. The flowers depicted include peonies in red and white, marigolds in orange, and a blue flower that is believed to be a type of sage or musharindo, although there are various theories. Realistically sized ants are also painted on the peony leaves. Interestingly, the lotus plants for which Shinobazu Pond is famous are not depicted, likely due to a specific artistic decision.

There are several theories regarding the background of this work. It is thought to either celebrate a marriage between the Satake and Shimazu families, or a marriage involving the Shimazu family and another family. Another theory suggests that it was inspired by Chinese legends related to peonies and the Shinobazu Pond, and was painted to commemorate the construction of a multi-storied building in the Akita Domain residence in Edo. It is a captivating piece that embodies the rich cultural facets of the Edo period.

Terasaki Kogyo, Eight Scenes of Mount Hakuba (Snowy Ravine and Flower Field), Akita Museum of Modern Art

Terasaki Kogyo (1866-1919) was a prominent figure in the Nihonga circle of the Meiji period, serving as a professor at the Tokyo Fine Arts School (now Tokyo University of the Arts) as well as an Imperial Household Artist. His work Eight Scenes of Mount Hakuba, created in 1917 at the age of 52, consists of eight pieces titled Sea of Clouds in Morning Glow, Clouds Over the Mountain Summit, Rugged Peaks Standing Together, Snowy Ravine and Flower Field, Lingering Snow on a Bare Mountain, Green Mountainside, Tree Shade by a Mountain Stream, and Snowy Ravine and Morning Moon.
In 1914, Kogyo built a villa in the Kanbayashi Onsen area of Shinano Province (present day Nagano Prefecture). He frequently visited there, drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscapes for his works. This series is composed of eight pieces, each uniquely rendered with different brushwork and coloring. A highly detailed and accomplished masterpiece of landscape painting, it embodies Terasaki Kogyo's elegant line drawings and Yamato-e style coloring, and even seems to evoke the clear air of the mountains.

• Auguste Rodin, The Age of Bronze
• Ando Izumi, Curiosity
• Fukuda Toyoshiro, Akita's Maria
• Katsuhira Tokushi, Namahage (Oga)
• Sasaki Ei, Tea Caddy with Colored Cut Shells in Grapevine and Vertical Stripes Pattern
• Shen Nanpin, Crane　
• Hirafuku Suian, Tiger with Cubs
• Konishi Shotaro, Portrait of a Woman in Green Clothing