Kawanabe Kyosai - just one of the many names of the artist, bon vivant and creative genius. Born in Japan in the mid-nineteenth century, he is considered one of the last great painters of the Japanese tradition. Despite the rather traditional-nationalistic focus of his works, Kyosai was receptive and open to the art of the West. He succeeded in having his works shown at important exhibitions in Paris and Vienna. Nevertheless, he always remained unaffected and true to his own school.
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Kyosai's art can best be subordinated to the ukiyoe style and the late Kanō school. Very early he discovered his enthusiasm for painting and started his official artist education at the age of six, under the guidance of the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Only three years later, he joined the studio of the Kano painter Maemura Towa, who gave him the nickname "the demon of painting". This name became part of his identity as an artist from then on. He became an early member of the Kano School and completed his training in 1849, one year after the presentation of his work "Bishamon". During this formative period he discovered his fondness for sake and the odd visit to a brothel.
After Kyosai's graduation, Tsuboyama Tozan first took him under his wing. This alliance was not to last, due to Kyosai's unrestrained behavior. He himself now developed a new genre: kyōga. The term Kyōga stands for "crazy" and has long been part of some of his stage names.
During the time when Kyosai discovered his independence as an artist, Japan's political landscape changed dramatically. Diplomatic relations between Japan and the USA opened up emphatically after American warships docked in Edo Bay.
In October 1870 Kyosai was arrested after drawings were discovered at an event with which he made fun of the authorities. He was arrested for months and remained incapable of work for some time after his release.
Art made him a wealthy man, but he gave most of his possessions to the poor - for Kyosai it was unbearable to see people in poverty while he could live in abundance. After his death in 1889, Japan saw the proclamation of a new constitution, modeled after the constitution of the German Empire - a radical rapprochement with the West.
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Kyosai's free spirit allowed him to be open and interested in Western art. However, this happened without him being subject to this influence, as was the case with some contemporaries.
Exuberance and exuberance are part of his handwriting and also the work with a lot of colour and a rather broad brush make his works unmistakable. This often overwhelming style, which nevertheless shows unique talent, is a reflection of the eccentricity and warm personality of the artist.
Kawanabe Kyosai - just one of the many names of the artist, bon vivant and creative genius. Born in Japan in the mid-nineteenth century, he is considered one of the last great painters of the Japanese tradition. Despite the rather traditional-nationalistic focus of his works, Kyosai was receptive and open to the art of the West. He succeeded in having his works shown at important exhibitions in Paris and Vienna. Nevertheless, he always remained unaffected and true to his own school.
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Kyosai's art can best be subordinated to the ukiyoe style and the late Kanō school. Very early he discovered his enthusiasm for painting and started his official artist education at the age of six, under the guidance of the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Only three years later, he joined the studio of the Kano painter Maemura Towa, who gave him the nickname "the demon of painting". This name became part of his identity as an artist from then on. He became an early member of the Kano School and completed his training in 1849, one year after the presentation of his work "Bishamon". During this formative period he discovered his fondness for sake and the odd visit to a brothel.
After Kyosai's graduation, Tsuboyama Tozan first took him under his wing. This alliance was not to last, due to Kyosai's unrestrained behavior. He himself now developed a new genre: kyōga. The term Kyōga stands for "crazy" and has long been part of some of his stage names.
During the time when Kyosai discovered his independence as an artist, Japan's political landscape changed dramatically. Diplomatic relations between Japan and the USA opened up emphatically after American warships docked in Edo Bay.
In October 1870 Kyosai was arrested after drawings were discovered at an event with which he made fun of the authorities. He was arrested for months and remained incapable of work for some time after his release.
Art made him a wealthy man, but he gave most of his possessions to the poor - for Kyosai it was unbearable to see people in poverty while he could live in abundance. After his death in 1889, Japan saw the proclamation of a new constitution, modeled after the constitution of the German Empire - a radical rapprochement with the West.
Br/>
Kyosai's free spirit allowed him to be open and interested in Western art. However, this happened without him being subject to this influence, as was the case with some contemporaries.
Exuberance and exuberance are part of his handwriting and also the work with a lot of colour and a rather broad brush make his works unmistakable. This often overwhelming style, which nevertheless shows unique talent, is a reflection of the eccentricity and warm personality of the artist.
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