Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 3. (Budapest, 1975)

FERENCZY, László: Traditions and new trends in the Japanese art of the Meiji era

3. YONEHARA UNKÁI : YOUNG BOY WITH NESTLINGS. WOOD CARVING. PARIS WORLD FAIR OF 1900. ukiyo-e wood printer school with his painting on Japanese mythology, of Kuni no Toko-tachi no Mikoto, one of the three legendary ancient gods (Figure 1)." The picture represents the deity standing on the back of a fish-like monster turning aside. The painter paid special attention to the head and the mien of the deity. He applied several shades of ink with very little colour: it is only on the magatama and on the pi disk that we find some traces of green and red. Kobayashi Kiyochika starting from the Ukiyo-e school arrived at a successful combination of Japanese painting traditions and the new trends prevailing in the period. The artist working for the most time in Tokyo came from a samurai family; his manifold, rich career and the study of Japanese and western methods of painting helped him to find his own style. Araki Kampo (1831—1915) came off as a Silver Price bearer at the 1900 Paris World Fair with his painting the "Peacock on the Rock". It is an often selected subject, but this one is distinguished by gorgeous elaboration and large size, representing the decorative traditions of Japan's national art.

8 Also this painter started from traditional painting but turned with interest to western methods from the very beginning of the Meiji era. He was a teacher of the Tokyo Art School and worked also for the Imperial Court. Although a great preserver of Chinese and Japanese traditions in painting he had an eye for realism as well. His picture presents a balanced combination of ink and a profusion of colours. Decorative birds of similar rendering are found in the pictures of the Maruyama Okyo school already. Here belongs e.g. Nagasawa Rosetsu (1755—1790) with his „Peony and Peacock" presented at the London Exhibition of 1910.

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