[Photo Feature] Deep Love for Japanese Art: Bigelow's Collection and Modern Nihonga at the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
An exhibition at the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art showcases William Bigelow's collection of Japanese art and masterpieces of modern Nihonga.Summary
William Bigelow (1850–1926), an American wealthy collector who came to Japan in the early Meiji era, had a deep love for Japanese art and strongly supported the revival of modern Nihonga. The exhibition "Bigelow: The Phantom Collection and the Dawn of Modern Nihonga" at the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art in Sakae, Nagoya, features masterpieces such as Kano Hogai's Important Cultural Property "Fudo Myoo" and works by Hashimoto Gaho, as well as brush paintings by Kitagawa Utamaro and Katsushika Hokusai, the illustrated scroll "Shuten Doji" that Bigelow gave to his close friend Henry Lodge's grandson, and a globe and telescope he donated to Homyoin in Otsu. In 1884, Bigelow founded the Kangakai with Ernest Fenollosa and others, providing financial support to Hogai and Gaho. The exhibition also includes works by Maeda Kinpu, a female painter active in Nagoya, revealing the new artistic territory of painters who incorporated Western techniques and materials. The exhibition runs until December 13, with exhibit changes; closed on November 16, 30, and December 7.
(Source：中日新聞Web)