Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts 90th Anniversary Special Exhibition: Water Margin
The exhibition celebrates the museum's 90th anniversary by exploring the Water Margin's influence on Chinese and Japanese art from the Song to modern eras.Summary
The Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts marks its 90th anniversary with a special exhibition centered on the Chinese classic novel Water Margin (Shuihu Zhuan). The show outlines the novel’s origins as one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels, its semi‑historical basis in the Song dynasty rebel Song Jiang, and its transmission to Japan during the Edo period, where it sparked widespread popularity.
Rather than merely retelling the story, the exhibition presents a broad selection of Chinese art from the Song to Qing dynasties and Japanese art from the Edo era to the present, illustrating the novel’s impact on artists such as Kyokutei Bakin, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi. By exploring the theme of loyalty and its reception across ages, the show invites visitors to reflect on historical ideals and their relevance to contemporary society.
(Source：美術展ナビ)