芸術の秋、世界的傑作を鑑賞。ボストン美術館浮世絵名品展 北斎＠上野の森美術館Let’s enjoy some autumn art by contemplating international masterpieces

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「秋」日本では芸術の秋、食欲の秋、スポーツの秋といわれ、
心地よい気候のおかげで何をやっても捗る素晴らしい季節とされている。
数回に分け上野の秋を楽しむルートを紹介する。

まずは芸術の秋

上野のアメヤ横丁を通り抜け、上野公園へ。

上野公園（正式名称：上野恩賜公園 うえのおんしこうえん）の
有名な西郷隆盛の銅像の横を抜けると「上野の森美術館」へ到着。
〒110-0007　東京都台東区上野公園 1-2

ここでは2014年11月9日（日）までは「ボストン美術館浮世絵名品展 北斎」を行っている。

絵が描ければそれでよし。生涯現役の葛飾北斎

「葛飾北斎」は日本を代表する浮世絵師。
冨嶽三十六景の《神奈川沖浪裏》や《凱風快晴》は日本をイメージさせる絵として知らない人はいないだろう。

江戸時代後期、江戸が一番活気ある時代を駆け抜けた北斎。
絵だけ描いていればそれでよし。生涯現役として現状に満足せず、描いた絵は3万点と言われる。
部屋が散らかると引越しをし、繰り返すこと約90回。
約30回改名し、最後の名前は「画狂老人卍（がきょうろうじん まんじ）」だった。
88歳で死ぬまでの70年間の約140点が展示されている。

Hokusai portrait“. Licensed under Public domain via ウィキメディア・コモンズ.
※この作品は「ボストン美術館浮世絵名品展 北斎」の展示には含まれていません

どれも保存状態がよく、今刷り上がったばかりのような色鮮やかな色彩。
北斎の絵で注目する点はたくさんあるが、とくにグラデーションが美しい。
そして、輪郭を描く線は繊細すぎて「版画」であることを忘れてしまいそうだ。
最後に展示されている北斎の娘「応為（おうい）」の作品の繊細さがとても際立っていた。
そして彼女の人生にとても興味を惹かれた。

【Writer】Tokyo de Asobo : YoshidaBoston’s Museum of Fine Arts presents Hokusai’s Ukiyo-e masterpieces exhibition @ Ueno’s Mori Art Museum

Autumn, in Japan there are many things it evokes, such as the cultural topics of ‘autumn art’, ‘autumn appetite’ and ‘autumn sports’. It is considered a splendid season because no matter what you do, the pleasant climate allows it to go well. Now I shall shortly introduce, an enjoyable route around Ueno during autumn.

Autumn art　’芸術の秋’

Pass through Ueno’s Ameya-Yokochō, and you will arrive at Ueno Park.

Ueno Park (official name in Japanese: Ueno Onshi Koen/Ueno’s Imperial Gift Park) has a famous bronze statue of Saigō Takamori. Once you pass this statue, you will arrive at Ueno’s Mori Art Museum.

Japan, 〒110-0007 Tōkyō-to, Taitō-ku, Uenokōen, 1−2

Here, the “Hokusai from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” exhibition is being presented until the 9th of November, 2014.

Here, the “Hokusai from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” exhibition is being presented until the 9th of November, 2014.

“As long as I can paint, that’s all that matters.”
Katsushika Hokusai’s mission in life.

Katsushika Hokusai is regarded as the ambassador for all Ukiyo-e painters of Japan. Surely there is no one who hasn’t seen his works of “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” and “Fine Wind, Clear Morning” and conjures them in their minds as images of Japan (see images).

It was the end of the Edo period, and Hokusai was taking full use of this most active period in Edo. “As long as I can paint, that’s all that matters”. It is said that this was his mission in life,  as he would never satisfy his thirst for painting thus going on to create some 30,000 pictures.

During his lifetime, each time his room became cluttered, he would simply pick up and move somewhere else, doing so roughly 90 times. He also changed his name about 30 times, with his final name becoming Gakyorōjin Manji (roughly translates to “an old man driven mad by drawings”)  By the time he died at the age of 88, he had held some 140 exhibitions during a long 70 year career.

Hokusai portrait“. Licensed under Public domain via ウィキメディア・コモンズ.
※この作品は「ボストン美術館浮世絵名品展 北斎」の展示には含まれていません
※This work is not included in “Hokusai from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” exhibition

All of the pieces have been kept very well, and their vivid colours are as if they had just come out of the printing press. In saying this, there are many observations about Hokusai’s technique that can be made, but in particular his gradation is beautiful. Furthermore, his outlines are so delicate that you forget that it is a woodblock print.

Finally, one further thing worth mentioning is that subtlety is also a very prominent part of a piece on exhibit by Hokusai’s daughter 応為(Ōi). Although her life in itself also attracts a lot of interest.

【Writer】Tokyo de Asobo : Yoshida
【Translator】Juan D. Ospina Leon / twitter:@JuanDOspinaLeon