Kokka Volume 217-222 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...of international intercourse. Even the autocratic Shogunate found it impossible to resist the trend of the age, until finally the Shogun, Yoshimune, was constrained to withdraw the decree prohibiting the reading of Dutch books. Thus again Western culture began to make itself felt, and the revival of oil painting followed. ' The pioneer oil 'painter.-of that time was Kyiikei I-Iiraga of Sanuki. He however never developed any very remarkable talent in the art, and this was natural because he followed it merely as a side issue, his.chief interest having lain in the investigation of Western sciences. Next to Kyukei, that is in order of time, should be mentioned Shiba-Kokan E15 fijfi, an oil painter of much greater ability and accomplishment. Shibakokan was a native of Yedo, and was popularly called Kichijiro Ando =; (E . In his profession he called himself Shiba-Kokan, a Chinese-like name which he apparently adopted in memory of his early studies of Chinese literature under Seisai Karahashi. Like many others of his cult, Shiba-Kokan had a full stock of pen-names, such as Fugen-dojin Zfigiifilk, Shumparo Togen 7 g', and Seiyo-dojin Efifijy Some say that he at first studied Ukiyo-ye under Harunobu Suzuki fi,7 f, and afterwards assumed the name of Harunobu the second; and that he later polished his art in the studio of Buncho Tani @jifg. In this connection let me quote a passage from his Kelzmz Kekat-kt (Records of Kokan's Confessions). "There must have been among my ancestors some gifted with artistic talent, and my uncle, the elder brother of my father, was born with this family heritage, for Shiha-Khhan without any instruction he learned to draw pictures skilfully. It seemed that the same procli...