"LOVE Itoshii...! - Kaburaki Kiyokata's Love Scenes, Okumura Dogyu's Love for Animals-" (Yamatane Museum of Art) Opening Report. Lots of "LOVE" in Japanese Painting
The special exhibition at the Yamatane Museum of Art features Japanese paintings centered on the theme of "LOVE," highlighting works by Kaburaki Kiyokata and Okumura Dogyu.Summary
The special exhibition, "LOVE Itoshii...! - Kaburaki Kiyokata's Love Scenes, Okumura Dogyu's Love for Animals-", has opened at the Yamatane Museum of Art in Hiroo, Tokyo, running until February 15, 2026. The exhibition explores various forms of "LOVE" through modern and contemporary Japanese paintings, ranging from tragic love stories to affection for animals. Two Nihonga painters, Kaburaki Kiyokata (1878–1972) and Okumura Dogyu (1889–1990), are prominently featured. Kiyokata's work, "Usuyuki" (1917), depicting the tragic love between Chubei and Umegawa from Chikamatsu Monzaemon's Joruri play *Meido no Hikyaku*, is used as the main visual, fully expressing the characters' mutual care. Also displayed are Kiyokata's illustrations for popular Meiji-era tragic romance novels like *Mafu Renpu* and *Konjiki Yasha*, showcasing his characteristic beautiful coloring and composition associated with his advocacy for "tabletop art."
(Source：美術手帖)