Category: Report

National Museum of Nature and Science

The National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo, is currently hosting a special exhibition , “The Super World of Living Things: National Museum of Nature and Science x Darwin’s Coming!”, a joint project with NHK’s nature program “Darwin’s Coming!” . The exhibition runs until October 12, 2026 (Monday, public holiday).

At the press preview held prior to the exhibition, talent Masaki Aiba, who serves as the exhibition’s navigator, also made an appearance. Here is a report on the event.

---

This exhibition focuses on the “survival strategies” that living things have honed through continuous adaptation and evolution to the ever-changing environment from ancient times to the present day. In addition to specimens from the National Museum of Nature and Science’s collection and the latest research findings, it showcases powerful footage of living things surviving in the great outdoors, a project undertaken over many years by NHK’s film crew.

The introduction features a wide array of animals, from large mammals representing diverse habitats on Earth such as grasslands, mountains, forests, deserts, and oceans, to tiny insects. A breathtaking panoramic display combining taxidermied specimens and skeletal specimens welcomes visitors.

Experience the reality of survival strategies through the synergistic effect of specimens and video.

The exhibition is composed of six chapters, each themed around the five senses, energy replenishment, size, movement, social structures, and the passing on of life in living creatures . Chapter 1 focuses on the five senses, which are essential sensors for survival.

For example, in the “taste” section, it is explained that the sense of taste has evolved to detect sweetness (sugar) and umami (food organisms) in order to obtain the necessary energy sources, and to avoid dangerous things that threaten survival (poison: bitterness, spoilage: sourness). You can learn not only about the tongue, but also what parts of the body living things use to “taste.”

What surprised me was that while we humans derive feelings of happiness and satisfaction from the umami taste (glutamic acid and inosinic acid) on our tongues, it’s actually not a particularly important taste for other living things. In harsh natural environments, choosing food based on umami can actually be detrimental.

Speaking of mammals like humans, giant pandas, which evolved from carnivores to bamboo eaters, and California sea lions, which swallow their prey whole, are said to have poor taste perception. Leaving aside giant pandas, the California sea lions, whose main diet consists of flavorful fish, seem to have no regard for the taste, and as a Japanese person who loves fish, I can’t help but feel it’s a waste!

The following Chapter 2 focuses on “energy replenishment,” exploring hunting strategies and methods for utilizing energy.

One of the highlights is the large monitor showing a collection of thrilling predation scenes. Shoebills patiently wait for hours for fish to surface. Cheetahs chase their prey with speeds reaching 110 km/h. Octopuses come ashore to hunt crabs and other creatures, performing spectacular jumps. Every scene conveys the tenacity of the photographers who continued to capture these decisive moments.

The immersive footage from “Darwin’s Coming!” complements the actual sense of speed and body movements that cannot be fully captured by specimens and explanatory panels alone, deepening understanding even further. This exhibition structure is arguably the most appealing aspect of this exhibition.

This chapter also deals with “picky eating.” It’s not simply a matter of likes and dislikes; like the koala that eats poisonous eucalyptus leaves, being able to adapt to foods that others avoid allows one to monopolize them without competing with rivals—a brilliant survival strategy.

The honey buzzard, a member of the hawk family, also has a truly unique ecology. They raid and eat the nests of ferocious wasps and other insects, and to protect their heads, which they use to penetrate the nests, from the stingers of wasps, they have a dense, scale-like structure of feathers. This thorough rationality, which has resulted from their extremely selective diet, even altering the structure of their heads, is truly astonishing and makes you wonder, “They went to such lengths?”

From blue whales to grains of sand, the sheer scale of it is overwhelming.

One of the most striking exhibits at the venue was the replica skeleton of Pyramiodontherium, a close relative of Megatherium, the largest extinct sloth, displayed in Chapter 3, which focused on the theme of “size.” (Actual fossils were also on display.) Its immense size was immediately apparent when compared to the skeleton of a modern three-toed sloth placed next to it. Large individuals are said to have reached a staggering 4 meters in length and weighed 1.8 tons.

While large terrestrial sloths have become extinct, all extant sloths are small, less than 1 meter in length, and are arboreal. Although larger size might suggest greater strength and an advantage, survival isn’t everything. Being the right size for the environment seems to be a crucial survival strategy.

A mysterious arch-shaped object floats above the Pyramidodontherium. At first, I thought it was just decoration, but to my surprise, I learned it was the gigantic lower jawbone of a blue whale, the largest living animal on Earth, which can reach a maximum length of approximately 33 meters. It is said that the burden of supporting its own weight is great on land, but the burden is lightened by buoyancy in water, which allows it to grow to such a large size. Standing beneath the bone and looking up, you can feel its extraordinary scale with your whole body.

Just as you are overwhelmed by the giant skeletons, your eyes will be drawn to the exhibit of “meiobenthos,” the smallest living marine invertebrates (a general term for microscopic organisms measuring approximately 0.031 to 1 mm). This is an ultra-microscopic world where more than 100 individuals can live in a handful of sand on a beach, and this extreme range of scales is one of the unique charms of this exhibition, which transcends species and genres.

Between chapters 1 and 4, a “Great Nature Super Immersion Theater” (2 minutes 05 seconds) appears, utilizing four large monitors that extend to the floor. The beauty of nature captured in high-definition images and the creatures in action in the wild leaves you speechless for a moment. The feeling of flying through the air is pleasant, and it’s a very relaxing space.

Chapter 4 focuses on “movement.” While many creatures move on their own by walking, flying, or swimming, the chapter also introduces a unique strategy of “hijacking onto others.”

For example, recent research has revealed that pseudoscorpions, an arthropod, travel from burrow to burrow by riding on the bodies of mice. Furthermore, they prey on parasites and pests such as ticks, fleas, and centipedes in the burrows they visit. This exhibit is interesting because it suggests the possibility of a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit, rather than simply a one-sided “piggyback ride.”

Furthermore, the ocean, teeming with plankton and organic matter, is like a nutrient-rich soup. As a result, many creatures, like the corals on display, make the bold choice to “not move.” However, once they settle down, they cannot move, and where they choose to live becomes a matter of life and death. Popular locations also involve competition with rivals, so it was clear that “not moving” does not necessarily mean “it’s easy.”

Is “cuteness” also a survival strategy? Towards the grand objective of reproduction.

Chapter 5 explores the significance of “groups” of living things, and Chapter 6 examines various aspects of the “baton of life” that nurtures the next generation, but the common keyword in both is “reproduction.”

The finless porpoise, a small dolphin species featured in Chapter 5, sometimes acts in groups during the breeding season in search of genetic diversity. I couldn’t help but laugh at the overly blunt description: “Nearly 100 individuals gather together from summer to autumn, resembling a super matchmaking event, and then disperse after mating is complete.” While the exhibition captions do include some technical terms, they are all enjoyable and easy to understand.

The female sea otter featured in Chapter 6 is said to carry her baby on her belly while out in the ocean, nursing, grooming, and even sleeping. Her well-known behavior of entangling her offspring in seaweed to prevent them from being swept away during hunts became even more endearing when seen in conjunction with the stuffed specimen before me.

Following that, you can’t help but turn your gaze to the polar bear cub next to it and exclaim, “How cute!” But actually, their adorable faces and cries are a clever strategy to stimulate the protective instincts of their parents and get them to take care of them.

On the other hand, female octopuses such as the giant Pacific octopus do not have the luxury of watching their offspring grow. For the sake of reproduction, which happens only once in their lifetime, they fast for several months after laying eggs until they hatch, and then end their lives immediately after all the eggs have hatched. From a human perspective, this may seem heartbreaking, but this is a survival strategy they have arrived at through a long evolutionary process. I could only ponder the many answers they have arrived at in order to pass on the baton of life.

Near the exit, you’ll find exhibits showcasing the “techniques for learning” used by researchers at the National Museum of Nature and Science and the film crew of “Darwin’s Coming!”.

The exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at the film crew’s work, which takes place around the world, from the polar regions to the tropics, for about a month at a time. In addition to the latest filming equipment, it also showcases a blind tent with a camouflage pattern. The tent is so small that it’s full with just one or two adults inside, and you can only admire the hardships the crew endures—the heat, the cold, and sometimes even itchiness—while sticking their lenses out of the tiny windows and quietly waiting for the perfect moment.

However, for the staff, the time spent away from the hustle and bustle of the city, surrounded by the breath of nature, is an irreplaceable luxury. There are sure to be children who will be captivated by the powerful images in this exhibition and aspire to this job. In conclusion, I felt a strong sense of passing the baton to the future.

Masaki Aiba: “It’s like an interactive attraction.”

At the press preview, Yuko Tajima, a researcher at the National Museum of Nature and Science who served as the overall supervisor of the exhibition, took the stage. She expressed her satisfaction, saying, “This has become a fantastic collaboration, fusing the National Museum of Nature and Science’s prized specimens with valuable footage from ‘Darwin’s Coming!'”

The exhibition was conceived with the desire to share the story of creatures that have adapted to diverse environments, relentlessly and uncompromisingly honing their survival strategies, and that are as moving as athletes giving their all in their performances. With these points in mind, the organizers expressed their hope that visitors would enjoy the exhibition while keeping in mind that they, too, are part of nature.

Next, Masaki Aiba, who serves as the navigator for this exhibition, gave an interview.

When asked about her impressions of touring the venue, she smiled and said, “There are lots of beautiful 4K images from ‘Darwin’s Coming!’ scattered throughout the exhibition. There are also many shots of predation and capture moments that must have taken hours or even tens of hours to film, and they are shown without any hesitation, so I was able to enjoy it like an interactive attraction, comparing it with the taxidermied animals and specimens.”

Among the exhibits that left the strongest impression on her, she mentioned the giant sloth, “Pyramiodontherium,” displayed in Chapter 3. “It was incredibly huge! It was fun to think about things like whether it evolved to the size of sloths we see today, or whether being smaller made it easier to survive,” she said, clearly intrigued by the experience.

Aiba also provided the audio guide for the exhibition, commenting, “I wanted people to enjoy the exhibition, so I recorded it with the intention of providing information discreetly without being too disruptive.” He spoke of his joy at being involved in the work at the National Museum of Nature and Science, which he has visited many times, and finally sent a message to those interested in the exhibition.

“After seeing the exhibition, I felt that it was something that would make not only children but also adults think deeply. I myself was surprised to learn that there are so many creatures that coexist with humans in close proximity, such as pill bugs eating concrete and snakes climbing telephone poles. It’s a place where you can learn a lot of things you didn’t know, so please come and visit.”

Special Exhibition “The Super World of Living Things: National Museum of Nature and Science x Darwin’s Coming!” Overview

Exhibition period	July 11th (Sat) – October 12th (Monday/holiday), 2026
Opening hours	9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM) *The museum will be open until 6:00 PM from August 9th (Sunday) to August 15th (Saturday) (last entry at 5:30 PM).
Closed days	September 7th (Monday), 14th (Monday), 24th (Thursday), 28th (Monday)
venue	National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno Park, Tokyo)
Admission fee (tax included)	General admission/University students: 2,300 yen, Elementary/Junior high/High school students: 600 yen *Admission is free for preschool children. *Reservations with specified dates and times will be required on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and from August 10th (Monday) to August 14th (Friday). *Visitors to this exhibition may also view the permanent exhibitions (Global Gallery and Japan Gallery) on the same day, but only during the permanent exhibitions’ opening hours. *For further details, please check the official website.
Organizer	National Museum of Nature and Science, NHK, NHK Promotions
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Official website of the operator	https://ikimonoworld.jp

*Please note that this information may not be up-to-date. For details, please check the exhibition’s official website.

 

---

View other reports

Tokyo University of the Arts University Art Museum

A unique exhibition , "Geidai-style View of Art – Become a Geidai Student This Summer," which allows anyone to become a "Geidai student," opened on July 24th, 2026 (Friday) at the Tokyo University of the Arts University Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo. The exhibition will run until September 23rd (Wednesday, national holiday).

This exhibition presents 12 "lectures" taught by current faculty members of Tokyo University of the Arts, using the museum's valuable collection as teaching materials, all presented as an "exhibition." Its greatest appeal lies in the unprecedented and luxurious viewing experience, which makes you feel as if you are actually attending a university lecture.

This report details the press preview held the day before the exhibition opened, including an appearance by the comedy duo Knights (Nobuyuki Hanawa and Nobuyuki Tsuchiya), who have been appointed as special tutors for this exhibition.

Knights appear! Unraveling the world of "Geidai" through laughter

At the press preview, a press conference was held with the comedy duo Knights (Nobuyuki Hanawa and Nobuyuki Tsuchiya), who have been appointed as "special tutors" for this exhibition.

Tsuchiya, who is currently studying art at the College of Art, Nihon University, shared an anecdote about how she once seriously attended an art school preparatory course and took the entrance exam for Tokyo University of the Arts, but was completely outmatched. She raved about the quality of the exhibition, which allows visitors to experience what it's like to be a student at Tokyo University of the Arts, saying, "If this exhibition can make you a student at Tokyo University of the Arts, then I didn't need to study so hard (laughs)." Hanawa, on the other hand, delighted the audience with his unique perspective, saying, "I like plastic models, so I was impressed by the exhibit that uses infrared light to examine the internal framework and then creates a replica of a Buddhist statue."

In the "7th Period" area where the press conference was held, there was an interactive exhibit where visitors could look at animal-themed artworks and write down their feelings about them on sticky notes. During the press conference, a game of witty banter broke out here. In front of the giant polar bear artwork "polka dots," the two presenters also revealed their answers on flip charts.

Tsuchiya responded, "I'm the tutor," while Hanawa replied, "Actually, I haven't thought about anything at all!" Hanawa confessed, "I was asked for an interesting answer, but I couldn't think of anything, so I ran away," to which Tsuchiya chimed in, "It's also art to deliberately not say anything and let the other person think for themselves."

Finally, when asked for a message about the exhibition, Tsuchiya strongly promoted the exhibition's concept, saying, "The biggest appeal is that you can 'become an art student.' I really want people to experience what it's like to take classes at art school ." Hanawa also spoke earnestly about the significance of experiencing art firsthand, saying , "We live in an age where we spend all our time looking at the internet and smartphones, but it's very important to actually go and see and feel paintings in person."

That's it, I'll become an art student.

The Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts has its origins in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (Bikō), established in 1887 (Meiji 20), and has served as a central hub for art education and research, producing numerous outstanding artists and researchers.

This exhibition is the first in a series to be held every summer for three years from 2026 to 2028, and is the first attempt to offer a lecture-style exhibition planned by current faculty members of Tokyo University of the Arts, focusing on the university's collection.

In the 12-hour "lecture" series, structured as an exhibition at the art museum, the faculty of Tokyo University of the Arts proposes various "ways of looking at" art, covering themes such as art history, practical skills, expression, appreciation, and conservation and restoration.

Learn how to appreciate art through authentic works.

Although it's presented in a classroom format, it's certainly not a lecture-style class. The venue features a diverse collection from the Tokyo University of the Arts, including works by past professors such as Seiki Kuroda, Eisaku Wada, and Tanaka Hirakushi, as well as works by graduates such as Tsuguharu Fujita, and even works by Van Gogh and students. Through this real-world viewing experience, you can learn how to appreciate art.

In the first three periods, we will look back at modern Japanese art of the Meiji period from various angles, and in the fourth period, we will learn about the Japanese aesthetic sense from Okakura Tenshin's "The Heart of Tea," who was deeply involved in the founding of the art school. In the fifth period, we will focus on "copying," which has been passed down through generations at Tokyo University of the Arts, and in the sixth period, we will introduce methods of preserving and restoring Buddhist statues, centered on "sculpting." Through these sessions, we will highlight the importance of "confronting our roots."

In addition, during periods 9-11, we will introduce the achievements of art school graduates and provide an overview of the cultural transformations in Tokyo approximately 100 years ago.

Watch art students at Tokyo University of the Arts create their own reproductions right before your eyes!

In the first period's basic painting workshop, "Learning from the Museum: Understanding the Hands and Spirit of Beauty Through Copying," current art students demonstrated copying techniques right in the exhibition room.

During the Knights press conference, Tsuchiya recounted his experience interviewing art students who were making copies of artwork. He explained that because the venue was an actual exhibition space for artwork, the tools available for copying were limited. Despite these constraints, the art students were not simply copying the works exactly, but were also trying various approaches, such as changing the light source from the original paintings.

Watching art students at Tokyo University of the Arts earnestly copying paintings might give you a chance to reflect on the artist's feelings and intentions hidden within the artwork.

As an experiential learning activity during summer vacation

Although this exhibition is themed around university lectures, it's not just adults who can enjoy it.

In the 7th period, "Let's look at artwork through the eyes of animals," various works of art featuring animals as motifs are on display. This area is recommended for children as it allows them to start with the simple feeling of "cute."

In the 8th period, "See, Touch, and Put into Words," we will introduce the latest art appreciation archive powered by AI analysis. Through this archive, which organizes and stores impressions of viewing artworks using AI, you can experience the differences between yourself and others, and how your own appreciation of art has changed. Sharing your impressions with your child may lead to various insights.

My personal recommendation is the scaled-down replica of the Nio statues at the Todai-ji Temple's South Gate, which is on display in the 6th period lecture, "The Art University Style: Doctors of Buddhist Statues." This piece was created by making subtle adjustments to various angles and forms of the statues according to the scale. Be sure to experience the "glare" of the Nio statues, which are said to ward off evil, at the venue.

The venue will feature interactive exhibits that families can enjoy together, as well as worksheets that allow visitors to enjoy embossing stamps. Furthermore, during the event, there will be unique events such as mini-concerts and mini-lectures, typical of Tokyo University of the Arts. Why not delve deeper into a lecture that interests you and turn it into a summer vacation project?

"Geidai-style Perspective on Art – Become an Geidai Student This Summer" Overview

*The information in this article is current as of the time of the interview. Please check the official website or other sources for the latest information.

---

View other reports

National Museum of Western Art

An exhibition highlighting the "printmaker" aspect of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-69), a leading 17th-century Dutch painter, has opened at the National Museum of Western Art. Titled "Rembrandt the Printmaker: Challenge, Inheritance, Impact," the exhibition runs until September 23, 2026 (Wednesday, national holiday).

*Some exhibited works will be changed during the exhibition period. Please check the list of works posted on the official website for details.

---

Born in Leiden, Netherlands in 1606, Rembrandt established himself as a leading portrait and narrative painter. He is widely known for his oil paintings such as "The Night Watch," which uses dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, but throughout his life he also devoted himself to printmaking, especially etching, and for pioneering its expressive possibilities, he is considered one of the greatest masters in the history of printmaking.

This exhibition not only traces the various "challenges" in Rembrandt's printmaking expression, but also brings together works by Goya, Matisse, Picasso, and others who were influenced by him, tracing the aspects of "inheritance" and "impact" up to the early 20th century. It primarily features works from the collections of the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, the world's only museum dedicated to Rembrandt, and the National Museum of Western Art, along with works borrowed from museums in Japan, university libraries, and private collectors overseas. Approximately 130 items are on display, including books and posters.

Chapter 1, "Rembrandt's Challenge in Printmaking," introduces the diverse expressions produced by Rembrandt's ambitious printmaking process in five thematic sections: "Portraits and Head Studies," "Social Marginalists and Common People," "Religious Themes," "Sketches on Copperplate Engravings," and "Landscapes."

In 17th-century Europe, the main printmaking techniques prevalent included woodblock printing, as well as metal engraving and etching. Engraving, which preceded etching, was a technique in which a metal plate (the plate on which the image for printing is carved) was directly engraved using a burin (carving tool). Due to its difficulty, it required advanced training, and the resulting style was characterized by strong, sharp, and predominantly linear lines, sometimes almost mechanically regular.

In contrast, Rembrandt primarily focused on etching (corrosion engraving). This technique, originally developed for engraving decorations onto hard iron armor and swords, was applied to printmaking. It involves scraping a copper plate coated with an anti-corrosion agent using a needle (a tool with a needle-like tip), and then corroding the exposed metal with acid to create grooves. Its characteristic feature is that it can be produced with the same ease as drawing on paper with a pen, but initially it was often treated as a substitute for engraving, which required an enormous amount of time to produce, and its expressive potential was not fully explored.

In the early 17th century, painters in the Netherlands who had not received formal training as printmakers began to enter the field of etching. A movement to explore new forms of expression unbound by tradition began to spread. Rembrandt, who had just become an independent painter, joined this movement and contributed to its development as a leading figure during this historical turning point. He left behind a remarkable 314 works, each based on an original plate.

Many painters who worked with etching produced only a few works during a brief period of their careers, and the majority of those works depicted landscapes. In contrast, Rembrandt dealt with a wide range of subjects, including not only landscapes but also portraits, head studies, genre scenes, and biblical stories. He also left behind examples of study-like works using copper plates as sketchbooks, which was a new genre in the Netherlands at the time. Working in such a wide range of genres was by no means common in the Netherlands, where specialization within genres was advanced. From this perspective, Rembrandt's printmaking can be said to have been challenging.

Rembrandt's early, iconic study , "Self-Portrait, Face with Open Mouth" (1630), with its wide-open eyes and pursed lips, gives a seemingly comical impression, but it was by no means created as a joke. This work reveals that Rembrandt, as a storyteller, pursued persuasiveness in his depiction of figures, and studied various expressions using his own face as a model.

The following year's "Self-Portrait with Soft Hat and Patterned Cloak" (1631), though small, is striking for the variety of its line work. The supple fabric of the curved brim of the hat is depicted with a series of gently undulating vertical lines, while the glossy, substantial fabric of the cloak is rendered with overlapping intersecting and zigzag lines of different patterns. On the other hand, the pleated collar, the lace on the cuffs, and the curly hair are rendered with the freedom of a pen sketch, using soft and delicate lines. This shows that he had already overcome the "monotonity" that had often been criticized about him and had established a line drawing style that was appropriate for different textures.

Furthermore, etching is a process that typically involves repeatedly making alterations to the original plate (states) and developing the image as it is printed. Rembrandt's number of states is exceptional, and 14 states have been identified in this work.

In the exhibition of "Portrait of Clement de Jonghe, Printmaker" (1651), you can compare the first and fifth states of the print. In the fifth state, the shading is darker, making it difficult to read the facial expression, which gives the print a mysterious atmosphere.

Rembrandt often made significant changes by layering states, sometimes to the point of altering the very meaning of the scene. Gradually, he began to use altering the original plate as a means of creating variations, rather than merely developing the image. There are even examples like "The Flight into Egypt" (c. 1652), in which he altered the original plate of the earlier printmaker Segers' "Tobias and the Angel" to create a work with a different subject, the Holy Family on their journey to Egypt. This suggests that Rembrandt viewed printmaking not as a fixed, finished product, but as a flexible creative space.

Rembrandt's "One Hundred Gulden Print" (1648), considered the finest of his etchings, is one of the highlights of this exhibition. The title comes from the fact that it was sold for an exceptionally high price of "100 guilders" for an etching at the time. The print depicts various scenes from chapter 19 of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, unfolding simultaneously with Christ as the common protagonist.

In a background shrouded in soft darkness, the nuanced gradation of light and shadow, shifting from jet black to gray to white, is created by a network of countless lines. The use of the "drypoint" technique, which involves directly scraping the copper plate with a special needle to create a unique blurring effect in the raised areas, and printing on Japanese paper further enhances the rich tonal gradation, bringing a profound resonance to the depiction of the scene.

On the other hand, the group of figures on the left side of the painting are depicted almost entirely by outlines, resembling pen sketches. While this work is notable for its innovative ensemble composition, it can also be seen as the culmination of Rembrandt's technical experimentation.

"View of Amsterdam" (c. 1641) is a work in which Rembrandt captures the city of Amsterdam, where he spent most of his career, from across the canal. The composition, with a low horizon and sky occupying most of the canvas, is in line with the trends of Dutch landscape painting at the time. On the other hand, the technique of deliberately leaving the sky white to convey a sense of light deviates from the traditional printmaking style in which clouds were almost always depicted, and this too can be said to be an approach pioneered by Rembrandt.

Chapter 2, "Inherited Legacy—17th-18th Centuries," traces the influence of Rembrandt and his contemporaries in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Rembrandt's prints were highly popular even during the time they were created. However, perhaps because his technique was so advanced, his followers in the 17th century were limited to a few, such as his pupil Ferdinand Bol and the Italian Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione.

In the following 18th century, interest in Rembrandt's work grew, particularly among German artists. Georg Friedrich Schmidt's "Self-Portrait with Spider at Window" (1758), by a Rembrandt admirer, depicts the artist diligently working by a bright window, clearly drawing inspiration from Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait of an Etching Artist at a Window" (1648), which is placed alongside it. However, Schmidt also incorporates his own unique touches, such as a violin and a sword suggesting his military experience, and the spiderweb, a motif associated with fate and the passage of time, adds a melancholic lyricism to the scene.

The 18th century saw a proliferation of imitations, and there were also instances of artists completing unfinished works by Rembrandt, such as Schmidt's "Old Man with Hand to Forehead" (c. 1639/1770). Furthermore, demand became so intense that the original plates rapidly wore out, leading to a proliferation of reproductions and imitations on the market.

In his caricature "Pablo Before Felix" (1751), the British satirist William Hogarth ridiculed Rembrandt's style, which at times was blatantly naturalistic. His warning against the large sums of money being spent on Rembrandt's works, often overlooked by his own country's artists, illustrates the enthusiasm of the time. Also during this period, the compilation of the "Catalogue Raisonné" (complete catalog of Rembrandt's works) began, laying the solid foundation for Rembrandt studies that continue to this day.

Chapter 3, "An Impact That Transcends a Century—The 19th and 20th Centuries," begins with the Spanish master Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. Goya is said to have remarked in his later years that "I had no teachers other than nature, Velázquez, and Rembrandt," but this statement refers not to Rembrandt as an oil painter, but to Rembrandt as a printmaker. Goya diligently studied Rembrandt's prints, which were rare in Spain at the time, through the collections of acquaintances and other sources, and incorporated them into his own work.

"The Disasters of War 79: Truth is Dead" (c. 1810-20) is one of a series of prints created by Goya, who experienced the Napoleonic Wars and domestic turmoil. While denouncing the ugliness and cruelty of humanity, he also incorporated radical political criticism despite his position as court painter. The print depicts the death of "Truth," represented by a female personification, as an allegory for the death of "constitutional freedom" with the restoration of the monarchy. The circular arrangement of the group figures and the depiction of the rays of light emanating from Truth show a connection to Rembrandt's "Christ Apparition to the Apostles" (1656), which is placed next to it.

Meanwhile, in France during the first half of the 19th century, etching was a technique that had been largely forgotten, but amidst a trend that emphasized the artist's sensibility and originality, it was re-evaluated as a printmaking technique suitable for the modern era. In this context, one of Rembrandt's works that attracted particular attention was "The Scholar in His Study (Faust)" (c. 1652).

This masterpiece is beautiful for the contrast between the dark areas with densely packed lines and the bright areas that make the most of the expressive power of the lines themselves. The painting depicts an elderly man, seemingly a scholar, gazing at a mysterious apparition appearing at a window in a study adorned with skulls and globes. The meaning of the work remains unclear and has given rise to various interpretations, but by the 18th century it came to be regarded as a depiction of the alchemist Faust, and is known to have been the inspiration for Goethe's famous play "Faust," written by a fervent admirer of Rembrandt.

Furthermore, the mystical atmosphere emanating from the image resonated with the sensibilities of people in the 19th century, leading the literary giant Victor Hugo to incorporate its imagery into his masterpiece, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and also using it for posters in the magazine "Etching in Paris," published to promote etching. This work can be seen as an example symbolizing a kind of Rembrandt adoration phenomenon linked to the etching revival in Paris at the time.

It was the Society of Etching Engravers, founded in Paris in 1862, that praised Rembrandt's innovative use of light and shadow—mystical twilight, flickering light, and pitch-black darkness—as possibilities in etching. In the preface to a collection of his prints, they commented, "(These were) necessary to depict all the fantasies that his dreamy, powerful, and bizarre imagination produced. No matter how rich his palette may have been, it could not have produced such a diverse range of effects."

Odilon Redon, a leading painter of French Symbolism, was also one of those who found in Rembrandt's delicate gradations and deep chiaroscuro a formative language that evoked a mystical spirituality. His admiration was so great that he wrote in his notes that he considered it essential that "all the mystery of form depends on him (Rembrandt). " The deep darkness enveloping Christ in "Revelation: With seven stars in his right hand and a double-edged sword coming from his mouth" (1899) is reminiscent of Rembrandt.

Rembrandt's masterpiece of landscape etching , "Three Trees" (1643), was also widely known in 19th-century France. Depicting a Dutch countryside scene facing an approaching storm, the painting features a dramatic effect created by the sharp, diagonal lines of heavy rain, the swirling black clouds rendered through the gradation of intersecting lines, and the contrast of light behind the three trees. Many artists were captivated by this style, and the exhibition showcases its influence through works by Barbizon School artists such as Charles-François Daubigny, Alphonse Legros, and Félix Bracquemond.

Even in the early 20th century, Rembrandt's popularity did not wane, and Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, who are considered the two greatest figures of 20th-century art, paid homage to Rembrandt in their own works.

Henri Matisse was the founder of the avant-garde art movement "Fauvism" and is known as an outstanding colorist, but in printmaking, with few exceptions, he was devoted to expression in black and white. The exhibited work, "Henri Matisse Carving a Print" (1900-03), is an example that marks the starting point of the artist's printmaking.

The theme and composition of his work, which features a large, frontal view of his own upper body, is thought to have been inspired by Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait of Etching at a Window," similar to the 18th-century work of Schmidt mentioned earlier. For the young Matisse, using Rembrandt's self-portraits, which had gained popularity in Paris from the late 19th century onward, as a model when attempting printmaking for the first time, was likely a natural choice.

In Picasso's " Rembrandt with Palette" (1934), part of the "Series for Vollard," the public image of Rembrandt, repeatedly depicted in his etching self-portraits, is caricatured, complete with a mustache and a feathered hat. This work came about when Picasso, somewhat desperately, drew lines on a copper plate that was no longer usable, and Rembrandt's figure accidentally emerged. It was also an experimental attempt to see if he could reproduce the deep blacks of Rembrandt's work, and the borrowing of images from multiple prints suggests that Picasso had also studied Rembrandt deeply. Photography was not permitted, so please see the actual work in person.

Asuka Nakata, curator at the National Museum of Western Art who was in charge of this exhibition, said, "In Japan, there have been many exhibitions on the theme of Rembrandt's printmaking. However, this is the first time that we have planned an exhibition that broadens its scope to include his influence. At the venue, I hope that visitors will not only enjoy the charm of Rembrandt's prints but also be surprised by the breadth and richness of their temporal and geographical scope."

Summary of "Rembrandt the Printmaker: Challenge, Legacy, and Impact"

*The information in this article is current as of the time of reporting. Please check the exhibition's official website for the latest information.

---

View other reports

Ueno Royal Museum

The "Great Van Gogh Exhibition: Café Terrace at Night," which has attracted considerable attention due to the first visit to Japan in approximately 20 years of Vincent van Gogh's (1853-1890) masterpiece "Café Terrace at Night (Place de la Forum)," is currently being held at the Ueno Royal Museum. The exhibition runs until August 12, 2026 (Wednesday).

---

The Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands boasts one of the world's leading collections of Van Gogh's works. This exhibition, comprised solely of his finest pieces, is the first of two phases of the "Great Van Gogh Exhibition," focusing on the first half of his short artistic career, which spanned only about 10 years.

The exhibition features approximately 60 works by Van Gogh, including oil paintings and drawings, alongside works by other leading contemporary painters such as Monet and Renoir . The five-chapter exhibition traces the trajectory of Van Gogh's life, from his early time in the Netherlands, his awakening to vibrant colors in Paris, his subsequent move to Arles in southern France in search of even greater light, and the culmination of his masterpiece, "Café Terrace at Night (Place de la Forum)."

Another highlight is the numerous quotes from letters she wrote to her brother Theo and close acquaintances, which are displayed on the walls and explanatory panels of the venue, serving as clues to understanding her feelings.

Chapter 1: "The Barbizon School and the Hague School"

In 1869, at the age of 16, Van Gogh began working at the Goupil Gallery, which was owned by his uncle. However, as his interest in religious issues deepened, he lost interest in the art trade and was dismissed in 1876. After that, he aspired to become a pastor, and through his interactions with farmers and laborers living in harsh conditions, he came to believe that "truth" and "sincerity" could be found in their lives.

When he began his career as a painter in earnest after 1880, the first things that caught his interest were the French "Barbizon School" and the Dutch "Hague School," which are introduced in Chapter 1.

The Barbizon School was a group known for their naturalistic landscape and genre paintings, active in and around the village of Barbizon on the outskirts of Paris from the first half to the mid-19th century. Moving away from traditional historical painting, they realistically depicted familiar nature and the lives of poor farmers based on direct observation. Their outdoor painting style, outside the studio, had a significant influence on the next generation of Impressionists.

On the other hand, the Hague School, which was active in the latter half of the 19th century in The Hague, a city on the North Sea in the Netherlands, studied under the Barbizon School and painted subjects that were unusual at the time, such as the harsh life scenes of fishing villages. Their unique technique, which emphasized light and shadow over color and captured damp air and cloudy skies with grayish tones that evoked melancholy and emotion, gained widespread support in the Dutch art world at the time.

Van Gogh began by copying instructional books, and from the end of 1881 to September 1883, he was based in The Hague, where he learned the fundamentals of painting directly from Anton Mauve, a distant relative and member of the Hague School. His main role model was Josef Israëls, a central figure in the school.

Israël painted not only genre subjects of fishermen and farmers, but also many religious themes with a Jewish background. His dramatic use of chiaroscuro was inherited from the 17th-century Dutch master Rembrandt. In Van Gogh's early masterpiece, "The Potato Eaters" (in the Van Gogh Museum), the influence of Israël can be seen in the solemn religious atmosphere in which the figures' faces emerge from the darkness. (A lithograph of this work is on display at the venue.)

Furthermore, when discussing Van Gogh, the presence of Jean-François Millet, a member of the Barbizon School known for works such as "The Sower" and "The Gleaners," is indispensable. Van Gogh admired Millet throughout his life for capturing people who lived devout lives in harmony with the earth with a solemn gaze, and depicting the sublimity of their way of life. He did not merely copy lithographs, but reconstructed them with his own colors and expressions, using them as the foundation for establishing his own style.

Chapter 2: "The Dutch Period"

Chapter 2 features oil paintings and drawings that Van Gogh actually produced in The Hague and in Nuenen, in southern Holland, where he moved in 1883.

"Still Life with Straw Hat" (1881) marks the period when Van Gogh, who had previously devoted himself entirely to drawing, began to seriously grapple with oil painting. study … On a wooden table, he arranged a yellow straw hat with a black ribbon, a pipe, pottery, and scraps of cloth, attempting to depict a variety of textures. His pride is evident in the letter he wrote, "I think I've reached the first step towards starting to paint something truly serious." It is said that he kept this work for a long time as reference material for his later creations.

While both the Hague School and Van Gogh depicted the lives of the working class, the Hague School tended to portray the "modest life" that bourgeois collectors fantasized about, in order to win their favor. Van Gogh, on the other hand, showed his unique style by sometimes exaggerating faces to portray their suffering and struggles as harsh, ugly, or exhausted.

"The Carpenter's Workshop and Laundry Room" (1882), a view of the back of his home in The Hague, uses perspective to create a sense of realism. Of particular note is the small tree depicted in the foreground. He initially sketched it in pencil, then outlined it with pen and ink, added flowers with white watercolor paint, and finally scratched the edges of the background with a sharp tool. While it retains a slight awkwardness, this work reveals the artist's struggle to expand his expressive abilities by experimenting with various materials and techniques.

Weavers at work were one of the representative motifs of the Nuenen era. When Van Gogh visited weaver villages in northern France in 1880, he was deeply moved by the weavers, whom he described as "dreamy, pensive, and like sleepwalkers." He decided to shine a spotlight on them, who were rarely featured as art motifs at the time, and he was also fascinated by the intricate structure of the looms themselves.

"The Loom and Weaver" (1884), with its imposing black loom standing out against a dull gray background, is a prime example of this style. It is said that he had this work photographed as a carte de visite (business card-sized photograph), perhaps to report the result to Theo and to promote the work.

Between December 1883 and November 1885, while living in Nuenen, he produced over 500 works, many of which were head studies exploring chiaroscuro techniques. He was particularly interested in the white hats that the women of Nuenen wore daily, noting in a letter that the hats and the faces they cast in shadow "brought about a finer quality of color, much like chiaroscuro."

At the time, influenced by Israël, Van Gogh found beauty in "light emerging from darkness." Therefore, he adjusted the tones of the model's face and clothing, and then adjusted the light and shadow of the background to express the effect of light and depth within a dark color scheme.

The culmination of his time in the Netherlands was his oil painting, "The Potato Eaters." The exhibited work is a lithograph based on a study for the oil painting, created to convey to close friends and family the image of his confident work, which tells the story of the nobility of the farmers' "hand labor." Although he had attempted printmaking for the first time, Theo and his friend, the painter Van Labbarde, gave it harsh reviews, calling it "unclear" and "superficial." From this point onward, Van Gogh's inclination towards lyrical expression over technical skill in his art deepened.

Chapter 3: "Parisian Painters and Van Gogh"

Chapter 3 focuses on the works of masters, primarily Impressionists, who were active from the 1860s to the 1890s.

Van Gogh, having been criticized by Theo, a successful art dealer in Paris, for the darkness of his paintings and persuaded that he needed to learn more about modern art, and also due to his growing interest in the Barbizon School and his longing for French art and the country itself, impulsively moved to Paris in February 1886 after a short period of study at the art school in Antwerp, Belgium.

Living with Theo in an apartment and having the opportunity to exhibit his work at the café "Le Tamboulan," he interacted with contemporary painters such as Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Émile Bernard. By being exposed to the latest artistic expressions, his art underwent a dramatic transformation, moving away from the dark period of his time in the Netherlands and becoming filled with light and color.

Van Gogh was particularly interested in Claude Monet's sense of color, Pierre-Auguste Renoir's vibrant shading and soft brushstrokes, and Paul Cézanne's bold techniques of composition and color expression. He also befriended Neo-Impressionist painters such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, and was influenced by them to practice pointillism. By the end of the summer of 1887, he had completed works using a rhythmic brushwork that was his own interpretation of Neo-Impressionism.

Around the same time, Maximilian Luce, a Neo-Impressionist painter, practiced pointillism in a more systematic way. Attracted by the beauty of the coexistence of man-made objects and nature, he, like Van Gogh, established his studio on Montmartre Hill, where urban and rural landscapes intersect. His work "Paris Area, View from Montmartre" (c. 1887) captures the view of the industrial area of Saint-Denis from his studio. The lush greenery shining in the summer sun, and the way the smoke rising from the rows of chimneys mixes with the clouds, are vividly depicted using pointillism.

Luce, faithful to Seurat's optical theory, attempted to capture the light and atmosphere of Paris through meticulous and regular pointillism. In contrast, Van Gogh not merely followed the rules of painting, but elevated it to a rhythmic and powerful brushstroke that seemed to pour out his own emotions, and a subjective approach to color.

Chapter 4: "The Paris Period"

Chapter 4 traces the dramatic changes in Van Gogh's painting style during his approximately two years living in Paris.

After moving to Paris, Van Gogh was unable to afford models and was forced to paint still lifes and self-portraits instead of the portraits he had wanted to paint. However, this ultimately led to a dramatic improvement in his sense of color.

In particular, at least 30 still lifes of flowers were produced in the summer of 1886 alone. Specifically, he repeatedly experimented with complementary color contrast, placing complementary colors (colors located directly opposite each other on the color wheel), such as red and green, or orange and blue, next to each other to make each color stand out more vividly. Looking at the three exhibited still lifes of flowers— "Roses and Peonies" (1886), "Still Life with Wildflowers and Roses" (1886-87), and "Flowers in a Blue Vase" (1887)—in the order in which they were created, we can see that while the color contrasts intensify, the harmony of the picture becomes more refined, demonstrating his growing mastery of the technique.

This was influenced by Eugène Delacroix, who theoretically analyzed and applied the complementary color effect before Impressionism, and by Adolphe Monticelli, whom Van Gogh deeply admired at the time. Monticelli was a painter from southern France known for his original style, which made extensive use of extremely thick paint application reminiscent of sculpture and strong contrasts in color. In addition, his influence from Ukiyo-e prints, including those by Utagawa Hiroshige, was one of the important factors that shaped what is known as Van Gogh's distinctive brushwork and sense of color.

Unusually for Van Gogh, "Restaurant Interior" (1887), set in a restaurant catering to the bourgeoisie, is one of the works that most clearly demonstrates the Neo-Impressionist technique. Using pointillist brushstrokes reminiscent of Signac, he arranges complementary color contrasts—the red and green of the wall, the yellow and muted purple of the floor, and the orange of the chairs and the bluish of the tablecloth—with a balance that reveals careful consideration.

However, the table and chairs are not always rendered with thorough pointillism. In addition, this work was painted on the reverse side of a canvas that had been used before, and perhaps the meticulous dotting technique was too restrictive for the painter's passionate temperament, as he distanced himself from strict pointillism after moving to Arles. This work is particularly popular among Van Gogh's works for its bright and refined colors, but considering these points, it may not have been something he wanted to widely showcase, but rather merely an opportunity to acquire technical skills.

Chapter 5: "The Arles Era"

While Van Gogh achieved great success as a painter in Paris, the hustle and bustle of the city and the fierce competition among artists gradually took a toll on his mind and body. Seeking the dazzling sunlight seen in his beloved Ukiyo-e prints and the ideal community of artists working together, he moved to Arles, a small town in southern France, in February 1888. He was completely captivated by the vibrant colors and abundant sunshine, and became engrossed in expressing nature through vivid color contrasts.

In less than 15 months, he produced approximately 200 oil paintings and over 100 drawings and watercolors. Simultaneously, he conceived the "Yellow House," a communal studio, and prepared to invite many up-and-coming artists, including Paul Gauguin.

As evidenced by his words, "What I absolutely want to paint now is the starry sky," and "To me, the night often appears far more vibrant and colorful than the daytime," it wasn't just the daytime light that uplifted Van Gogh in Arles.

The highlight of this exhibition , "Café Terrace at Night (Place du Forum)" (1888), depicts the nighttime scene of Place du Forum in the heart of the city, bathed in the yellow light of gas lamps. It is one of Van Gogh's finest masterpieces, rarely seen outside of the Netherlands, and is a monumental work in which he first depicted a starry sky in a truly remarkable way.

Against a backdrop of a star-filled night sky, a café terrace shines brightly. The raised paint of the stars gives them a presence like jewels. Regarding this work, Van Gogh wrote in a letter, "This is a painting of the night without black. There are only beautiful blues, purples, and greens, and against this backdrop, the illuminated square is colored in pale sulfur and greenish lemon yellow." The contrast between the warm-colored foreground and the cool-colored background gives it an eye-catching brilliance, redefining the image of night which had often been depicted in black and gray in traditional Western painting.

It has been suggested that Van Gogh's pursuit of the starry sky was influenced by the magnificent descriptions of the night sky in Guy de Maupassant's novel "Bel-Ami," which he loved to read, as well as the colorful starry sky he saw in the Mediterranean Sea in early June 1888. In any case, what is important is that for him, the starry sky was an important motif that represented "hope."

It is thought that when this work was created, the community members were filled with anxiety and loneliness, unsure whether their friends would come to visit, but also with excitement and hope. A letter remains that says something to the effect of, "When I feel restless at night, I go outside and look at the sky, and the stars look like my friends," suggesting that in this work as well, the characters may have been associating the stars with the images of their friends.

However, it's worth noting that cafes at that time were different from those of today, serving as places for socializing and indulging in pleasure. The depiction of the cafe terrace in this work is known to be a conscious reference to the scene in "Bel Ami" mentioned earlier, where the poor protagonist gazes with disgust at a night cafe where wealthy people enjoy food and drink and prostitutes hang out. Furthermore, regarding "The Night Cafe," a work created around the same time, Van Gogh stated that he "tried to express that a cafe is a place where people ruin themselves, lose their sanity, and commit crimes."

The earthly world, where desire and decadence intertwine, and the heavenly world, where starry skies symbolize hope. Van Gogh contrasted these two worlds, and perhaps through the vivid contrast of complementary colors, he tried to further highlight the brilliance of the latter.

---

The second phase of the exhibition, "The Great Van Gogh Exhibition: The Langlois Bridge at Arles," is scheduled to tour from Kobe on February 6, 2027, to Fukushima and Tokyo. The Langlois Bridge at Arles, considered a Dutch national treasure, will be exhibited in Japan for the first time in approximately 70 years, so be sure to check it out.

■ Overview of "The Great Van Gogh Exhibition: Cafe Terrace at Night"

Date: May 29, 2026 (Friday) – August 12, 2026 (Wednesday)
Venue: Ueno Royal Museum
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00-17:30 / Friday, Saturday, and public holidays 9:00-19:00
*Entry is permitted until 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed days: Open every day during the exhibition period.
Admission fees (weekdays): General admission 2,800 yen, University/vocational school/high school students 1,600 yen, Junior high/elementary school students 1,000 yen
*An additional 200 yen will be charged on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
*Admission is free for high school students and younger until June 30th (Tuesday).
*Please check the official website for details.
Organizers: Sankei Shimbun, TBS, TBS Growdia, Hakuhodo, Ueno Royal Museum
For inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial / 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM)
Exhibition official website | https://grand-van-gogh-tokyo.com/

*The information in this article is current as of the time of the interview. It may differ from the latest information, so please check the official website for details.

Article provided by: Cocosil Ueno

---

View other reports

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

A major retrospective exhibition , "Andrew Wyeth Exhibition: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum," which interprets Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), a national painter representing 20th-century American figurative painting, through the theme of "boundaries," is currently being held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The exhibition runs until July 5, 2026 (Sunday).

*All works featured in this article are by Andrew Wyeth.

Andrew Wyeth, who was active throughout the 20th century, distanced himself from the avant-garde art movements that swept the era, such as Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, and Pop Art. Based in his hometown of Pennsylvania and Maine, where he spent his summers, he continued to meticulously depict the people and landscapes around him throughout his life.

While his style is realistic, it's not merely a reproduction of the scenes he sees. What unfolds is a unique, autobiographical world of painting that reflects introspective images, yet it contains universal elements that resonate with everyone's emotions and memories. In addition, because he repeatedly confronted limited lands and human relationships, even without depicting a clear narrative, the accumulated time, the presence and memories of the people who lived there, certainly permeate the canvas. This quiet drama is also a unique charm of Wyeth's work.

This exhibition is the first large-scale retrospective of Wyeth's work in Japan in 17 years, and the first since his death. Unlike typical retrospectives that present his works chronologically from his early years to his later life, this exhibition focuses on the expression of "boundaries" that functioned as connections to a more private world, such as "windows" and "doors," which frequently appear in Wyeth's works. Of the approximately 100 works on display, more than 10 are being shown in Japan for the first time.

Chapter 1, "The Painter Wyeth," begins with his self-portrait (1945), which depicts the painter himself in his twenties walking through a desolate field with a sketchbook in his hand and a grim expression on his face.

Wyeth was born in 1917 as the youngest child in a family of artists. He was frail from a young age and unable to attend school, instead spending his days wandering his neighborhood alone, sketching and nurturing his creativity. In his late teens, he received formal instruction at the studio of his father, the renowned illustrator N.C. Wyeth, where his talent blossomed. His struggles and search for his own expression under the influence of his great father formed the foundation of his introspective style.

At the age of 20, his artistic career seemed to be going smoothly, culminating in the complete sell-out of all his works at his first solo watercolor exhibition in New York. However, in 1945, the year he painted his "Self-Portrait," at the age of 28, his father and nephew, who were both obstacles he needed to overcome and his spiritual pillars, died suddenly in a railway crossing accident. From then on, Wyeth gained the perspective that "everything is in flux," and he deepened his unique world of painting, which was fundamentally rooted in a view of life and death that emphasized the impermanence of the world.

This chapter focuses on the meticulous tempera paintings that Wyeth enthusiastically worked on, including his self-portrait.

Tempera, a classical technique that gradually fell out of favor after the rise of oil painting, involves dissolving pigments in egg yolk and water and applying thin layers repeatedly. Wyeth received his initial instruction from his brother-in-law and father's pupil, Peter Heard. For Wyeth, who disliked the glossy sheen of oil paints, tempera, with its rough, dry texture and the ability to achieve extremely detailed depictions, was an ideal medium of expression. Wyeth cherished the chic colors produced using only natural materials, considering them the colors of his homeland.

In watercolor painting, he employs the "dry brush" technique, where he applies a small amount of paint with minimal water, layering it by rubbing it across the canvas. This technique vividly portrays the rough textures of plants and walls, and even the wind-blown air, as if weaving a tapestry. The melancholic, poetic quality of his paintings is undoubtedly supported by this technique.

"Mother Archie's Church" (1945) is a tempera painting depicting a church that served as a spiritual haven for the African American community. The building is in ruins, but a white dove flies in through an open window. The composition, which also touches on the exhibition's theme of "boundaries," can be interpreted as not simply showing signs of loss, but rather a glimmer of faint hope.

Chadds Ford, the rural village where Wyeth grew up, was home to African American communities and immigrants with German roots. Even in an era of deep-seated discrimination and prejudice, Wyeth befriended these people and depicted many of them as models for his works.

Chapter 2, "Light and Shadow," focuses on one of Wyeth's characteristic features: his skillful use of contrast between light and shadow.

Many of Wyeth's works feature a coexistence of areas that are intensely lit and areas that are dimly lit. This is not a dramatic, spotlight-like effect seen in 17th-century Baroque paintings, but rather a natural representation of light as it is in reality. However, this contrast is not merely a visual technique to emphasize contrast; it sometimes quietly highlights boundaries that separate and connect these two areas, such as windows and doorways.

Wyeth's own experiences and emotions were embedded in his use of light and shadow, and it was an important element in shaping the serene drama. For example, in works such as "Bell-Ringed Rope" (1951) and "Cooling Shed" (1953), the light shining through the darkness conveys a sense of anticipation for the outside world and a premonition of liberation.

In "Laundry" (1961), laundry hanging in the garden of Wyeth's studio is blown by the wind and illuminated by bright light along with the basket. In contrast, the inside of the window is dark and gloomy, but upon closer inspection, the two are not disconnected but connected by a clothesline. There is a sense of warmth in his gaze towards his wife Betsy, who simultaneously handled the behind-the-scenes work of a capable manager and the duties of a housewife who supported the home.

Furthermore, Wyeth continued to confront the inescapable question of "life and death" through the accidental death of his father, as mentioned earlier, and the near-death experience he had five years later due to a lung disease. In "Nap" (1963), a white cat basks in the sun against the backdrop of deep darkness beyond the door of a barn. The cat is in a state of "sleep," which is associated with death, but the place where it is sleeping is the boundary between light and shadow. This can be seen as an expression of Wyeth's philosophy that "life and death" are not opposing forces, but rather a continuum and interconnected.

The section of this exhibition that takes up the most space is Chapter 3, "A New England House—Olson House."

Every summer, Wyeth would spend time in Cushing, Maine, in the New England region where the quintessential American landscape still remains. The painting "The Olson House" (1939), displayed at the beginning of this chapter, is a watercolor he painted shortly after his first visit to the Olson siblings' home, accompanied by Betsy, who would later become his wife. Immediately captivated by the building, which stood alone on a hill and had an irregular shape due to renovations and additions, Wyeth used the second floor of the house as his studio for the next 30 years, producing a vast number of works.

For Wyeth, pencil drawings were "a way to express the strong emotions I felt with the subject," and he usually sketched quickly, as if to unleash his impulses. On the other hand, with regard to the Olson House, perhaps he was looking ahead to its inevitable demise. He meticulously captured every detail, from the windows to each panel, as if finishing a portrait, leaving behind drawings that vividly record its features.

It wasn't just the buildings that captivated Wyeth. He was also deeply drawn to the character of Christina, the older sister who, despite being disabled in her legs due to a progressive illness, possessed a noble independence, and her patient younger brother, Alvaro, who gave up his beloved fishing at sea to work on the farm in order to support her. In particular, he held Christina, who possessed a mental strength that he himself lacked despite growing up in a privileged family, in high esteem, and he made her the muse for many of his works, including the masterpiece "Christina's World" (owned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, not included in this exhibition).

Another representative portrait is "Christina Olson" (1947), which captures Christina sitting on the steps of the back doorway, bathed in the afternoon sun, after finishing her kitchen work. Wyeth said that her figure "reminded him of a wounded seagull," and this too occupies a boundary between inside and outside.

Christina, unable to easily go outside due to her physical limitations, might be considered a being belonging more to the dark, indoor world. However, she casts her gaze out through an open doorway to the sunlit outside world, and the wind blowing in from outside the frame makes her hair flutter, giving the painting a sense of life. Here, boundaries are not depicted as something that divides something, but as a passage that creates interaction between inside and outside. Next to it is a preliminary sketch of "hair not swaying in the wind," illustrating how important the depiction of wind was to Wyeth.

Maine was one of the earliest states to be settled, and the Olson siblings, who lived in an old house dating back to the early 19th century, had a father who was also an immigrant from Sweden. Wyeth may have seen in the siblings' modest yet resilient life the people who built the foundation of America. In this way, rather than focusing on easily recognizable symbols such as the Stars and Stripes or the skyscrapers of New York, Wyeth deeply embraced the primal landscapes connected to history and the dignity of the quiet people who lived there, and it was this that he became a painter who depicted America and gained the support of the public.

Alvaro died in December 1967, followed shortly after by Christina in January 1968. The following summer, Wyeth visited the empty house and created "The End of the Olson Family" (1969). The painting depicts a chimney reminiscent of Christina's kitchen work, the cove where Alvaro once fished, and a small swallow flying freely in the sky. When compared to the juxtaposed study, the "window frame," the boundary separating the foreground and background of the painting, has been removed in this work, revealing Wyeth's deep longing to continue his connection with the siblings who had already passed away.

Wyeth is known for consistently painting the same subjects over many years, including the Olson siblings, his Pennsylvania neighbor Karl Kerner (a former military officer), and Helga Testorf, who cared for Kerner. Chapter 4, "The Breadth of the Gaze," focuses on the painter's approach of constantly searching for "that moment when the switch flips" in familiar landscapes, as well as the breadth of his motifs that extended beyond just people.

In this chapter, works featuring chairs as a motif, such as "The Passenger on Board" (1982), "High Stool" (1985), and "Island Porch" (1999), are particularly striking. "Model's Chair" (1982) depicts a white chair and clothing on which a woman named Anne Cole was resting. The absence of a model was chosen because it was thought to better represent Anne's character. Here, the chair can be said to play a role in the intersection of presence and absence. Wyeth often used this technique, deliberately removing figures from the canvas, to paradoxically bring out their presence and inner feelings.

"Lighthouse" (1983) depicts a scene at a lighthouse on Southern Island, Maine. Betsy's dog, Gnome, sits politely in front of the open door, hinting at the outside world beyond the stairs. The lighthouse's light is what sustains the lives of sailors continuing their voyages. Gnome seems to be taking on the role of a lighthouse keeper, protecting their lifeline in place of his master.

In the final chapter, "Boundaries or Windows," we return to the motif of boundaries, particularly windows, and delve deeper into the underlying themes that permeate Wyeth's paintings.

"Geranium" (1960) captures Christina inside the Olson House through a window. However, Christina's figure is so faint that one might not notice her unless pointed out, and her presence is hinted at only by a single red geranium, which she was said to have loved. Sunlight streams in through the window in the background, and, like "Christina Olson," it conveys that her world is not closed off but connected to the bright outside world.

At first glance, "Thin Ice" (1969) appears to be an abstract painting, but it depicts a view of fallen leaves submerged in a waterway near Wyeth's home, seen through a thin layer of ice. This work was created during a period when Wyeth was grappling with a deep sense of loss after the death of Christina the previous year, and Wyeth himself said that the countless submerged leaves represent his experiences and the people he had met. In that context, it is possible to interpret what lies beyond this thin ice as the "world of death."

However, upon closer inspection, we notice tiny bubbles indicating the flow of water, revealing that it is not a completely still realm of death. Furthermore, the way a single leaf protrudes from the ice, casting a shadow on its surface, eloquently illustrates Wyeth's view of life and death, suggesting that life and death are not in opposition but rather a continuum.

Wyeth's paintings, while always imbued with a sense of loss, also exude a faint glimmer of hope in the light streaming through the window and the image of birds crossing a boundary. His "aesthetics of transience" resonates deeply with the Japanese aesthetic sensibility. This exhibition, the first large-scale retrospective since his death, will provide an opportunity to re-examine the serene drama of his work.

Overview of the "Andrew Wyeth Exhibition Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum"

*The information in this article is current as of the time of reporting. Please check the exhibition's official website for the latest information.

---

View other reports

Taito City Calligraphy Museum

The Taito City Calligraphy Museum, located in Negishi, Taito Ward, Tokyo, is a rare specialized museum in Japan dedicated solely to calligraphy. It boasts a collection of approximately 16,000 items of significant importance for the study of Chinese and Japanese calligraphy history. Beyond the ink writing on paper that many people imagine when they hear the word “calligraphy,” the museum’s appeal lies in its ability to trace the history of Chinese writing and characters through diverse written materials, such as “oracle bone scriptures,” the oldest existing Chinese characters inscribed on turtle shells and bones, and “stone scriptures,” Confucian classics inscribed on stone.

The Calligraphy Museum is currently holding a special exhibition, “Nakamura Fusetsu 160th Anniversary Special Feature,” to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Nakamura Fusetsu (1866-1943), who was both a Western-style painter and a calligrapher. The exhibition showcases works and materials from throughout his life. (The exhibition runs until July 12th, 2026.)

Unlike typical museum exhibits, this exhibition features a large number of oil paintings, watercolors, and newspaper illustrations, making it an accessible exhibition even for art fans who might feel that calligraphy is difficult or intimidating.

This time, we were given a tour of the exhibition by Mr. Nobuhiro Nakamura, the chief researcher at the museum.

*There will be changes to the exhibits during the exhibition period. See the list of exhibits here .
First half of the exhibition: April 4th (Sat) – May 24th (Sun)
Late exhibition: May 26th (Tuesday) – July 12th (Sunday)

*All featured works are from the collection of the Taito City Calligraphy Museum.

Nakamura Fusetsu (formerly Nakamura Sekitaro), famous for creating the sign lettering for “Shinjuku Nakamuraya,” was a figure who left a significant mark on both the Western-style painting and calligraphy worlds throughout the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods.

Born in Kyobashi, Edo in 1866, Fusetsu lost his job as an official of the shogunate during the turmoil of the Meiji Restoration when he was five years old. Relying on his mother’s connections, he moved to Nagano, where he spent his boyhood working as an apprentice in a kimono shop and as a confectioner, while studying Chinese classics, Nanga painting, and calligraphy in his free time. Aspiring to become a mathematician, he became an elementary school teacher at the age of 19, teaching arithmetic and drawing, but he soon realized that language proficiency was essential to learning more advanced mathematics. For Fusetsu, who had a hearing impairment, this was not an easy path, and he decided to seriously pursue his second-choice dream: painting.

“Based on these experiences, I decided to use the name ‘Fuzetsu’ (meaning ‘unwavering’ or ‘unsettled’) to express my determination that I would never be discouraged or lose heart again,” says Nakamura.

In 1887, at the age of 23, he moved to Tokyo and, relying on a relative, lodged in a vacant room at the villa of Takahashi Korekiyo, who would later become Prime Minister. He enrolled in the art school “Fudosha,” run by the Western-style painter Koyama Shotaro, and received painting instruction there for over a decade.

The exhibition room on the first floor begins with a collection of works created during his time as a student at the art school, including sketches and watercolors of landscapes using the one-point perspective technique of Western painting, and his first surviving oil painting, “Self-Portrait.” The art school’s educational policy emphasized thorough drawing, and students were only allowed to paint watercolors and then oil paintings after they had fully mastered pencil drawing. Therefore, Fusetsu and other students would travel from Sendagi, where the Fudōsha art school was located, to suburbs such as Kichijōji, spending their days sketching landscapes and receiving critiques.

 Amidst the tide of nationalism, Fusetsu struggled to make a living as a Western-style painter. A major turning point came in 1894, when he was 29 years old. He was selected to be the illustrator for the newspaper “Ko-Nippon,” edited by Masaoka Shiki, a haiku poet and journalist. This caught the attention of literary giants and haiku poets, and gradually he began to receive requests for illustrations and book designs for books and magazines.

“At the time, the Nippon Shimbun, the newspaper company to which Shiki belonged, was frequently suspended from publication for publishing articles that severely criticized the government’s diplomatic stance and Westernization policies. To mitigate the losses incurred during these suspensions, they planned to create ‘Ko-Nihon,’ an illustrated newspaper for families. Shiki asked his friend, the painter Asai Chu, to find an illustrator who was skilled in that field, and Asai Chu introduced him to Fusetsu, with whom he had a relationship at the Fudōsha publishing house. Not only was Fusetsu highly skilled at drawing, but he could also draw lines that were easy for the woodblock carvers to handle, with effective use of omission and emphasis, and he had a strong ability to compose pictures. Shiki recognized Fusetsu’s talent at a glance. Fusetsu was skilled at both drawing and writing, and he was also very reliable as he always met deadlines,” says Nakamura.

Being close in age, Shiki and Fusetsu became inseparable friends, and the following year, in 1895, they traveled to China as war correspondents (and painters) during the First Sino-Japanese War. However, when they arrived, a ceasefire was declared, leaving them without work. Fusetsu accepted Shiki’s invitation and spent about four months traveling around China and the Korean Peninsula, sketching along the way.

Upon his first encounter with continental culture, Fusetsu became deeply engrossed in the allure of calligraphy. While conducting research, he encountered valuable archaeological materials, including rubbings (copies of characters inscribed on stone monuments, etc., made with paper and ink; used as models for copying calligraphy). After returning to Japan, he spent his personal fortune collecting materials from used bookstores and antique shops, building the collection that now forms the basis of the Calligraphy Museum.

The first half of the second-floor exhibition room traces the development of Fusetsu’s career as a Western-style painter.

Seeking to further advance his career as a painter, Fusetsu went to Paris to study in 1901 (Meiji 34) at the age of 36. He studied under Raphael Collin, a French academic painter who had mentored Kuroda Seiki, and then under the historical painter Jean-Paul Laurens, honing his skills for about four years.

“Back then, studying abroad typically involved either government or zaibatsu (financial conglomerates) assistance, or selling artwork in America, where Japonism was popular, to raise funds before heading to France, the birthplace of Japonism. However, Fusetsu, who had struggled financially since childhood, was independent and frugal, so he diligently saved the income he earned from newspaper illustrations and other sources, and, very unusually for the time, managed to raise a large sum of money for his studies abroad on his own before his departure. Furthermore, the year before he left, he bought a house with an atelier outright and gave his wife and children a substantial amount of money for living expenses before he departed. In response to Fusetsu’s extraordinary determination, Ito Sachio (a tanka poet and novelist) presented him with ‘Ten Tanka Poems to Send You Off to Europe,’ filled with deep friendship and wishes for his success. Be sure to check out that ‘overwhelmingly passionate’ message,” says Nakamura.

In the exhibition held during her studies in Paris, four nude studies stand out.

Although Fusetsu had honed his sketching skills at Fudōsha, as evidenced by his early nude studies abroad, where hands and toes are vaguely depicted, it was difficult to say that he had received sufficient training in depicting the human body. Laurence saw these drawings and determined that Fusetsu had not yet reached the stage of drawing the whole body. She began rigorous instruction, starting with partial sketches of hands and feet, and within a few months, Fusetsu had mastered the precise techniques of depicting the human body.

“Around 1900, new movements such as Impressionism had already emerged, but in academic art education, traditional historical paintings dealing with religion and mythology still held the top spot in the hierarchy. To tackle historical paintings with groups of people, one had to differentiate the skeletal structure and skin texture of men and women of all ages, otherwise the painting would lack persuasiveness. Therefore, it was necessary to thoroughly study nudes as a foundation. My tireless efforts paid off, and two years later I had developed enough skill to be selected as 10th out of 200 people in a competition at the art school,” (Nakamura).

After returning to Japan in 1905 at the age of 40, Fusetsu became a leading figure in the Western-style painting world, serving as a member of the Pacific Painting Association and the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, and as a judge for the Ministry of Education’s art exhibitions. He also dedicated himself to nurturing future generations of artists as the first principal of the Pacific Painting Association Research Institute (later the Pacific Art School). In his own work, he made historical painting, which he learned from Laurens, his life’s work, and he produced many Western-style paintings based on Oriental stories, utilizing the knowledge he had cultivated through his study of calligraphy.

His most representative work is the one created in his later years. Yi Qi’s Admonition Listen and admonish This is the image. In the center of the screen is Confucius, pointing to the “Yi Qi,” a vessel that can overturn whether empty or full, but becomes level when filled halfway with water. This piece depicts a story from the Spring and Autumn period of China, in which a wise ruler teaches his disciples not to become arrogant by seeking more than their capabilities allow, but to use moderation as a cautionary tale.

The latter half of the second-floor exhibition room focuses on calligraphy, Japanese paintings, newspaper illustrations, and interactions with literary giants.

In 1908, at the age of 43, Fusetsu suffered a nervous breakdown due to his busy schedule and was ordered by his doctor to stop all work. While staying at Isobe Onsen in Gunma Prefecture for recuperation, he worked on “Ryūminjō,” a collection of 20 poems by Su Zhe, a literati of the Northern Song dynasty. This work, written as a pastime during his recovery, unexpectedly became a turning point. The haiku poet Kawahigashi Hekigoto saw the work and strongly recommended that it be published. Following the advice that “making changes would diminish the spirit of the work,” Fusetsu published it as his debut work, leaving the mistakes as they were. As a result, the work attracted attention for its bold and free calligraphic style that was not bound by rules, and it became a sensation as the so-called “Fusetsu style.”

Compared to the weighty and powerful “Ryūmon Nijūhin” and other calligraphic works from the Nanboku-chō period that Fusetsu diligently studied, the writing style of “Ryūminjō” is quite different. Those unfamiliar with calligraphy may be puzzled, but Nakamura points out that this is “a sensibility typical of the Japanese, which places importance on form.”

“Japanese people tend to try to imitate a model when one is next to them. On the continent, form is not generally emphasized. The result is a unique style of calligraphy that comes from absorbing and exhaling the aura of the model. This is also a difference between Western and Eastern art; the West pursues realism in what is visible, while the East tries to express what is invisible. For this reason, the literati who led the political culture of ancient China valued poetry, which gives form to words that emerge from the heart, and calligraphy, which records those words in writing, above all else,” (Nakamura).

Another characteristic is that he does not fix the form of the characters within a single work, but rather embraces the mixing of various typefaces and letterforms. In fact, in the manuscript for the stone monument “Nishinomiya Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. President Ito Noriyoshi Monument Scroll,” which consists of more than 700 characters, the same characters appear many times, but almost no two are the same in form. The sheer variety of variations, such as the variant character where the “eight” part of the character “醸” is changed to “□□” or “△△,” reveals Fusetsu’s deep knowledge of calligraphy. Although expressions such as blurring and smudging are suppressed because the work is intended to be carved as a stone monument, the fact that individuality is not lost is a strength of Fusetsu’s style.

The documents illustrating his relationships with prominent Meiji-era writers are also extremely interesting. When Fusetsu, who had just returned from studying abroad, illustrated Natsume Soseki’s “I Am a Cat,” the first edition sold out in just 20 days, proving to be incredibly popular. Following the success of his debut novel, Soseki sent Fusetsu a polite letter of thanks.

“Soseki’s usual handwriting has a rather rough, textured quality, but this thank-you letter is written in beautifully crisp characters. He must have been very happy that it sold out,” (Nakamura).

Mori Ogai was deeply devoted to Fusetsu’s calligraphy. On his deathbed, Ogai left a will requesting that his tombstone be inscribed with only his real name, “Mori Ogai’s Tombstone” (森森太郎墓), in Fusetsu’s calligraphy, rather than any titles such as “Mori Ogai” or “Army Surgeon.” He passed away in 1922. The tombstone inscribed by Fusetsu, who fulfilled this request, can still be seen today at Zenrinji Temple in Mitaka City, Tokyo.

However, when plans were made to publish Ogai’s complete works after his death, a debate arose regarding the title. Opinions were divided on whether to title it “The Complete Works of Mori Ogai,” respecting Ogai’s preference for not using the pen name “Mori Ogai” in his later years, or “The Complete Works of Ogai,” considering his name recognition. A letter from Yosano Tekkan, who belonged to the latter faction, greatly influenced the decision.

“Yosano Tekkan had already asked Fusetsu, who was unaware of the situation, to write the title ‘Ogai Complete Works.’ He created a situation where, since Fusetsu had already written it, there was no choice but to proceed as planned. As a result, the difficulties Fusetsu had with the calligraphy were taken into consideration, and a compromise was reached by adding ‘Written by Mori Taro’ next to the title,” (Nakamura).

Fusetsu considered himself strictly a Western-style painter, and even said that “calligraphy is a pastime.” Perhaps it was precisely because of this that he was able to approach calligraphy as a pure expression unbound by formality, and his free-flowing calligraphic style attracted many people, including even the most discerning literary giants.

The later exhibition will focus even more deeply on the artist’s interactions with Masaoka Shiki. Please check the exibition list and be sure to visit.

■ Overview of the special exhibition “Fusetsu Nakamura: 160th Anniversary of His Birth”

Exhibition period	Saturday, April 4, 2020 – Sunday, July 12, 2020 *Exhibits will be changed during the exhibition period. First half of the exhibition: April 4th (Sat) – May 24th (Sun) Late exhibition: May 26th (Tuesday) – July 12th (Sunday)
venue	Taito City Calligraphy Museum
Opening hours	9:30 AM to 4:30 PM (Last entry at 4:00 PM)
Closed days	Monday (or the following weekday if it falls on a public holiday)
Admission fee	General admission: 500 yen; Elementary, junior high, and high school students: 250 yen. *Please check the official website for details.
Official website	https://www.taitogeibun.net/shodou/

View other reports

National Museum of Western Art

A major retrospective exhibition of the works of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911), a leading Lithuanian artist, titled “Čiurlionis Exhibition: Inner Star Chart,” is currently being held at the National Museum of Western Art. This is the first major retrospective in Japan in 34 years. The exhibition runs until June 14, 2026 (Sunday).

*All exhibited works are by Mikaloyus Constantinas Čiurlionis and are from the collection of the National Museum of Art, MK Čiurlionis, Kaunas, Lithuania.

In the early 20th century, Čiurlionis demonstrated exceptional talent in both painting and music, laying the foundation for modern Lithuanian culture. During his short life of 35 years, he produced over 300 works during approximately six years of his artistic career.

His art was formed under the rule of the Russian Empire and amidst the national liberation movement, and is rooted in a unique Lithuanian identity, drawing inspiration from the country’s rich nature, history, and ancient folk tales. At the same time, he was interested in theosophy and astronomy, deepening his contemplation on the human spiritual world and the mysteries of the universe. Known for his unique expression that bridges Symbolist and Abstract painting, his innovative approach, particularly his transformation of musical forms into the structure of paintings, stemming from his sensibility as a composer, has solidified his reputation today.

Held in Lithuania to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition showcases approximately 80 representative paintings, prints, and drawings from the collection of the National Museum of Art, M. K. Čiurlionis (Kaunas).

 The exhibition is structured into three chapters, with a prologue and epilogue added, and the prologue introduces the starting point of Čiurlionis’s artistic career.

Born in 1875 into a modest family in southern Lithuania, Čiurlionis displayed musical talent from a young age under the tutelage of his organist father. In 1894, at the age of 18, he enrolled in the Warsaw Conservatory in neighboring Poland to study composition. He honed his skills there until 1901, composing musical works including his representative symphonic poem “In the Forest.” After studying at the Royal Conservatory of Leipzig in Germany, it wasn’t until around 1902 that he seriously pursued his long-held dream of becoming a painter.

His early paintings are said to have strongly exhibited Symbolist expression, but unfortunately, most of them have been lost. “Whispers in the Forest” (1904), painted in 1904 when he enrolled as a first-year student at the newly established Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, is a valuable surviving example.

In the painting, a hand, hazy like mist, emerges before a grove of trees standing in a mysterious, dark forest. Comparing it to a postcard of the same motif created the previous year, it becomes clearer how the form of the trees is superimposed with the strings of a harp, and the soft murmur of the forest with the sound of a plucked harp. This work already strongly reflects the musical sensibility that would characterize Čiurlionis’s paintings.

Chapter 1, “The Rhythm of Nature,” traces the depiction of nature as portrayed by Čiurlionis.

While based in Warsaw, Čiurlionis’s rich natural environment remained a source of inspiration for his art. However, his paintings rarely depicted realistic landscapes; his primary focus was on the dynamic changes of nature. He abstractly, and sometimes anthropomorphically, captured the rhythms and cyclical processes inherent in nature, imbuing them with lyricism and symbolism.

These interests culminated in a series of works focusing on nature, such as the changing seasons. In his earliest series , “Flash” (1906), consisting of three pieces, a fantastical image unfolds: as night deepens, a cluster of lights emerges from gray smoke and moves in a line, eventually arriving in front of a blue gate as if guided by the wind.

At first glance, the flash of light might evoke natural phenomena like the bioluminescence of fireflies. However, for Čiurlionis, the “gate” is a crucial motif, symbolizing the boundary between reality and fantasy, the visible and the invisible, or perhaps an entrance to a spiritual dimension or a passageway for the soul. Considering these points, it can also be interpreted as suggesting a process in which something fundamental, such as spirit or soul, undergoes transformation through the gate.

Furthermore, while many of the surrounding painters focused on the tranquil and melancholic aspects of winter, Čiurlionis attempted to visualize the inherent power within it, along with its dynamism. In his eight-part series “Winter” (1907), he consistently uses trees, symbols of life, as his main theme, depicting them in various forms amidst the diverse aspects of winter nature.

The series depicts trees standing in a snowfield, encased in solid blocks of ice, sometimes presenting contrasting concepts such as life and death, hope and despair, and at other times representing a candlestick metaphor hinting at divine revelation. As the snow melts and the breath of life begins to emerge, all the motifs—trees, snowflakes, etc.—are reduced to geometric clusters of stars and rectangles, concluding the series in a way that demonstrates the very resilient energy inherent in winter.

Chapter 2, “Symphonic Painting,” finally tackles the theme of Čiurlionis’s attempt to fuse painting and music.

Čiurlionis focused on this theme intensively and systematically between 1907 and 1909. In Europe at that time, a movement to fuse painting and music was spreading among painters, influenced by the ideas of Baudelaire, Wagner, and Nietzsche. However, while many painters were interested in synesthetic musical expression through color, Čiurlionis, from his unique perspective as a composer, applied the structure of music itself to painting. This is precisely why Čiurlionis occupies a unique position in the history of modern art.

In the diptych “Prelude, Fugue” (1908), the prelude is placed as an introduction to the fugue, a form of polyphony in which multiple voices (parts) imitate and pursue a theme.

In “Prelude,” the golden ship floating in the center of the screen immediately catches the eye, but what is noteworthy is how the figure sitting with its head bowed in the lower right corner of the screen, the hand pointing upwards, and the tower-like silhouette continue into the lower part of the “Fugue.”

In the following “Fugue,” the fir tree takes center stage, in addition to the aforementioned motifs. What initially appears to be a tranquil lakeside scene is, upon closer inspection, noticing a mismatch between the image of the fir tree and its reflection on the water’s surface. Here, adhering to the structure of the fugue, each motif is repeated with subtle variations in form and color, evoking musicality through variations in scale and sparseness.

As seen in this work, Čiurlionis abandoned the traditional perspective-based representational space and constructed the image with multiple horizontally segmented layers. Then, much like counterpoint (a compositional technique such as fugue) in which multiple independent melodies are harmonized and progress simultaneously, he made each layer resonate, successfully visually representing the impression of polyphony.

Furthermore, Čiurlionis introduced the sonata form of music into painting, creating seven series of works with more grand compositions throughout his life. This exhibition features three of these works: “Sonata No. 3 (Serpent Sonata),” “Sonata No. 5 (Sea Sonata),” and “Sonata No. 6 (Star Sonata)” (all from 1908). Each chapter of the series is given a title indicating the tempo, and “Sonata No. 5 (Sea Sonata)” is composed of three chapters: “Allegro,” “Andante,” and “Finale.”

In the “Allegro,” composed of regular horizontal layers, the sea is perceived as a musical score with bouncing notes, and the waves, foam, and golden particles spreading along the shore create a lively rhythm. In the following “Andante,” the movement of the waves becomes more leisurely. In a tranquil atmosphere, the gaze sinks to an underwater kingdom where images from Lithuanian mythology overlap. And in the “Finale,” motifs such as foam and sailing ships converge with the exhilarating rhythm of rising waves, leading to a dramatic conclusion.

This work was conceived and created by Čiurlionis during a summer vacation with his fiancée, Sophia, at a resort on the Baltic Sea, and some believe its festive atmosphere is an expression of his personal happiness. Furthermore, the imagery of the great wave in the “Finale” has been noted as being influenced by Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” from his “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.” (※This work is currently on display in the concurrently running exhibition, “Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji – From the Inouchi Collection.”)

The sea is associated with images of eternity and the cycle of life, and the repetition of waves embodies musical rhythm, making it a motif that deeply resonates with Čiurlionis’s sensibility, and it was also treated as a theme in his symphonic poems and prose poems. In this chapter’s exhibition room, the symphonic poem for piano “La Mer” is played as background music, and the manuscript of the score for “La Mer” is also on display. You will be able to explore from multiple perspectives how Čiurlionis listened attentively to the presence of nature and “transcribed” its melodies into his works.

Chapter 3, “Fantasy Dedicated to Lithuania,” focuses on the Lithuanian national character while introducing works from Čiurlionis’s mature period.

Following Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the First Russian Revolution, the national liberation movement rapidly gained momentum in Lithuania. Čiurlionis, as one of the leading figures in the country’s art world, also dedicated himself to the movement, creating essay collections that served as a spiritual manifesto for Lithuanian culture, as well as illustrations for collections of Lithuanian folk songs. At its core was the belief that a re-evaluation of local folklore, folk songs, and crafts—all aspects of national culture—was essential for the formation of a lost national identity and the construction of a distinctly Lithuanian artistic style.

On the other hand, national culture also served as a good source of inspiration for Čiurlionis’s own work. For example, the cross that appears in “The Lithuanian Cemetery” (1909) is one of the representative motifs of the country, embodying the nation’s desire for independence.

In this work, the sky, based on the translucent blue-green characteristic of tempera painting, shines with the Big Dipper, a guiding light for the soul, while the silhouettes of crosses are rhythmically arranged on the ground. These crosses are a fusion of Lithuania’s traditions of nature worship and ancestor worship with the symbols of Christianity, which was introduced as the state religion in the 14th century, and are original designs richly adorned with decorative motifs of plants, animals, and celestial bodies.

Gradually, the cross itself became a part of folk belief, and it was erected everywhere—in cemeteries, roadsides, and on farm grounds—as a means of prayer and commemoration in a broader sense, not only for mourning the dead, but also for safe travels and bountiful harvests. For this reason, it became a target of repression under the Russian Empire’s assimilation policies.

More solemnly proclaiming national revival is “Prelude (Prelude of the Knight)” (1909). Čiurlionis, who rarely depicts specific landscapes, has sprinkled elements reminiscent of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, into this city. The transparent knight (Vitis) bravely galloping above it is a symbol of national independence and glory, which was the national emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 14th to the end of the 18th century.

Furthermore, from 1907 onward, Čiurlionis established his own unique genre of painting, “fairy tales,” developing archetypal images that fused folk tales, myths, and universal narrative structures with his own vision.

The magical world, kings and princesses, knights, journeys, and roads are typical elements of this genre, and “Fairy Tale (A Fairy Tale of Kings)” (1909) is a work with kings as its theme. Set in a forest shrouded in darkness, two kings gaze upon a shining dome containing the beautiful nature and rural landscapes of Lithuania. They embody the duality of the world, while also being guardians watching over small Lithuania from outside the world.

The “king” has consistently been one of Čiurlionis’s important themes from the early stages of his artistic career. The image of the king as a transcendent being who governs the world becomes definitive in the masterpiece “Rex (King)” that appears in the epilogue of this exhibition.

On the other hand, Čiurlionis was exposed to the international intellectual trends of the time, such as theosophy and astronomy, which deepened his reflections on the human spiritual world and the mysteries of the universe.

The Altarpiece (1909), being exhibited in Japan for the first time, is a masterpiece by Čiurlionis, imbued with a sense of cosmic vision and a unique spatial representation from a bird’s-eye view. Depicted on the sides of the gigantic, stepped altar are motifs such as knights and angels, all of which hold symbolic significance for Čiurlionis. Their intricate interplay creates the appearance of a magnificent epic poem, progressing from the lower to the upper levels. At the same time, the motif of the stairs itself symbolizes the various stages of the ascending human spirit, and the number of steps is thought to correspond to the theosophical theory that divides the structure of the universe and humanity into seven stages.

The exhibition concludes with the epilogue of “Rex (King)” (1909), a masterpiece that most comprehensively demonstrates Čiurlionis’s thought and formal explorations, and is also his largest painting. In a canvas colored with beautiful monochrome light and shadow, the four elements that constitute the world—fire, water, earth, and air—are condensed. Under a multifaceted structure reminiscent of a grand symphonic poem, countless motifs such as stars, angels, and trees are repeated, while a double-layered, translucent king sits atop the earth, seemingly piercing the universe vertically.

In this still largely mysterious work, Čiurlionis integrated the diverse ideas he had absorbed—including indigenous Lithuanian nature worship, Hinduism, Egyptian mythology, theosophy, astronomy, and natural science—into a single narrative system, creating a new story distinct from the Christian God. The two kings, while demonstrating dualistic principles, are depicted not merely as rulers of the world, but as pantheistic beings integrated with nature and the universe.

This work was painted during a period when Čiurlionis, seeking further advancement as a painter, expanded his activities to Saint Petersburg, and as he had hoped, it was highly praised by Alexander Benois, a leading figure in the Russian art world. However, Čiurlionis was unaware of this, and due to the grueling nature of his work and the mental stress, his physical and mental health gradually deteriorated. He passed away on April 10, 1911, at the young age of 35, from pneumonia.

---

Čiurlionis was a unique artist who fantastically depicted music and painting, Lithuanian national identity, and contemplations on the human psyche and the mysteries of the universe. Since 2000, exhibitions of his work have been held throughout Europe, and there is a growing momentum for re-evaluation of his original world. Please come and enjoy it at the venue.

Summary of the “Ciurlionis Exhibition: The Inner Star Chart”

*The information in this article is current as of the time of reporting. Please check the exhibition’s official website for the latest information.

---

View other reports

National Museum of Nature and Science

In recent years, so-called “battle encyclopedias,” which introduce and discuss the strengths of animals, dinosaurs, and mythical creatures in a battle format, have become very popular. “What is the strongest animal in the world?” “It’s the African elephant, obviously.” “No, after all, the hippo is strong.” Such discussions are a fun topic that can get both curious children and adults excited.

Immense power, sharp fangs, deadly venom, electric shocks. The astonishing abilities of dangerous creatures that humans cannot match. These are abilities that can be called “ultimate techniques” that they have acquired through evolution to hunt prey and defend themselves.

Focusing on such deadly techniques, the special exhibition “Super Dangerous Creatures Exhibition: Science Takes on the True Power of Living Things,” which explores everything from the astonishing ecology of dangerous creatures to the hidden dangers of familiar organisms from a scientific perspective, is currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo. It may offer a new perspective on the debate surrounding “the strongest.” (The exhibition runs until June 14, 2026)

The venue’s design concept is a “forbidden laboratory exploring the astonishing abilities of dangerous creatures.” Instead of using existing taxonomic groups, dangerous creatures are classified into eight types based on their signature moves. They are presented using a variety of methods, including valuable specimens, sophisticated CGI, educational models, and impressive documentary footage.

■Exhibition composition
Area A: “Dangerous creatures that use melee attacks”
Lab 1. Power Fighter Type
Lab 2. Killer bite type
Lab 3. Armed Type
Lab 4. Large Swarm Type

Area B: “Dangerous creatures with special attack capabilities”
Lab 5. Highly venomous type
Lab 6. Chemical Attack Type
Lab 7. Electric Shock Type
Lab 8. Vampire type

Basically, each exhibit showcases one special move for each species, and apparently, the names of each move were created specifically for this exhibition by the curators in charge of each field. From cool move names that you’ll want to say out loud, to puns, and even some that are just too straightforward, the individuality of the curators shines through.

Also noteworthy are the exhibits that will appeal to children, such as “Animal Newspaper: The Case Files of Extremely Dangerous Creatures,” which presents real-life incidents involving dangerous creatures both domestically and internationally in a newspaper-style format, and card game-style icons categorized by type.

The “Power Fighter” exhibits are particularly impressive. Featuring African elephants, as well as green anacondas and cassowaries, these creatures possess overwhelming size and power that poses a formidable threat without needing any tricks.

For example, African elephants can deliver a devastating blow with a simple yet powerful move called the “nose powerbomb,” which involves simply flicking their trunk. The trunk, which is key to this move, can reach 2 meters in length and weigh 150 kg, and is unique in that it has no bones and is composed entirely of muscle. It is made up of bundles of approximately 90,000 muscle fibers, equivalent to the number of fibers in a human body, which allows for complex contractions and extensions. Furthermore, it is said that the hardness and shape of the trunk can be freely changed by adjusting the pressure by changing the amount of fluid inside, similar to a hydraulic system. Therefore, they possess not only brute strength but also dexterity, such as being able to pick up a chicken egg.

The next exhibit features a massive stuffed southern elephant seal, comparable in size to an African elephant. While many people may picture seals as laid-back, round, and calming animals, male southern elephant seals boast an impressive size of 5 meters in length and weigh 3 tons.

Even when bitten by sharks or orcas, elephant seals can sometimes survive by using a thick layer of subcutaneous fat up to 10 cm thick to block the teeth and regenerate their skin, demonstrating their remarkable survival abilities. Here, they show documentary footage of a southern elephant seal that wandered into the city and tried to crush a car with its deadly “body press” move while crawling, giving you a real sense of the threat they pose.

Another appealing aspect of this exhibition is that, starting with the theme “Orca vs. Great White Shark: Who is the strongest in the ocean?”, the columns displayed throughout the venue offer various pieces of information to help you make informed decisions about the topic of strength .

For example, in the “Killer Bite” exhibit, which features dangerous creatures that excel at biting, we explain not only the structure of teeth, which are covered with enamel, the hardest tissue in living organisms, but also the force of biting, or “occlusal force.”

When comparing the Bite Force Quotient (BFQ), a metric used to compare relative bite force independent of body size, among carnivores, an interesting result was found: the least weasel (164), a small species of weasel weighing around 100g, significantly surpasses the lion (123) and spotted hyena (99.6). Furthermore, the giant panda (151), a carnivore that is also a herbivore, also ranks highly, demonstrating that small size or herbivorous diets should not be underestimated.

The weasel family is comprised of extremely ferocious hunters, known for using their sharp canine teeth to take down prey larger than themselves, such as least weasels and wolverines. In particular, the honey badger, the largest species of weasel found on the African continent, is said to fearlessly confront lions that weigh more than 10 times its own weight, and its fierce fighting spirit is truly remarkable.

The honey badger’s signature move (ability) isn’t biting, but rather an “impenetrable body and anti-poison.” Surprisingly, its thick, flexible skin makes it resistant to damage from animal bites, porcupine stings, and bee stings, and it’s even resistant to the blows of venomous snakes like cobras. It can be said to be a well-balanced fighter with high levels of attack, defense, and survival ability.

Furthermore, the “Killer Bite” exhibit features the first-ever public display in Japan of a life-size replica of the world’s largest saltwater crocodile, nicknamed “Roron,” which measures over 6 meters in length .

Saltwater crocodiles, sometimes called “man-eating crocodiles” due to the numerous reported fatalities, are a popular subject of interest. Among them, Lolong holds the Guinness World Record for the “largest crocodile in captivity,” with an astonishing length of 6.17m and a weight of 1,075kg. A life-size replica of Lolong, faithfully reproduced from scans of its data taken in the Philippines, is on display at the venue. Its impressive size makes the story of how it took 100 people to pull it out of the sea quite believable. Another highlight is the video explanation of the “death roll,” where the crocodile bites its prey and twists its massive body underwater to tear it apart.

Among the exhibits featuring “swarming” creatures that pose a threat in groups, such as grasshoppers and piranhas, the army ant section is a must-see.

The army ant, which inhabits Southeast Asia and Africa, is known for its ecology of swarming in the tens of millions of individuals, devouring surrounding prey before moving on. It’s not just small lizards and grasshoppers that are attacked and killed; there have been reports of attacks on baby goats and even elderly people who are unable to move due to illness. The sheer power of their predatory abilities is enough to send chills down your spine.

The queen ant, the center of the colony, has long been considered an elusive and almost mythical creature, difficult to even confirm despite years of research by researchers both in Japan and abroad. However, Munetoshi Maruyama, associate professor at the Kyushu University Museum and one of the exhibition’s supervisors, and Taku Shimada, an insect explorer and photographer, conducted research in the Republic of Kenya. During filming for the TBS program “Crazy Journey,” they successfully encountered and photographed a queen ant. One of these precious queen ant specimens is on display in Japan for the first time at the venue.

Area B in the second half, “Special Attack Dangerous Creatures,” is exciting because of the variety of tricky special moves.

The exhibition begins with a “highly venomous” section analyzing the toxins of diverse creatures such as wasps, baby monitor lizards, and blue-ringed octopuses. This is followed by a “chemical attack” section featuring bizarre special moves such as the striped skunk’s powerful stinging liquid, 100°C high-temperature gas, and self-destructive defenses. The “electric shock” section explores the power generation mechanisms of creatures like electric eels, which can generate voltages of up to 850 volts. Finally, the “blood-sucking” section focuses on blood-sucking creatures such as vampire bats and ticks, and also touches upon the dangers of infectious diseases.

Area B features many creatures with visuals that may evoke a sense of physiological revulsion, such as tarantulas and giant centipedes, so those who are squeamish should be cautious. If you’re okay with that, please do take the time to observe their appearances in detail.

In the section dedicated to scorpions, a prime example of “highly venomous” scorpions, you’ll find the Deathstalker (meaning “the one that creeps towards death”), a medium-sized, slender scorpion with one of the most potent neurotoxins in the scorpion world, alongside the Emperor Scorpion, whose venom is surprisingly weak despite its imposing appearance, often resulting in pain comparable to a bee sting. An interesting point about scorpion venom is the tendency that “the smaller the claws, the stronger the venom, and conversely, the larger the claws, the weaker the venom,” which clearly demonstrates the fact that “the level of danger is not always what it seems.”

Speaking of creatures that are all show and no substance, the “highly venomous” sun spider, described as “one of the most frightening in the arthropod kingdom based on first impressions alone,” is a prime example. Its enormous chelicerae are impressive, but it poses no real threat beyond that. Although it may appear to charge towards humans, it is actually just seeking shade to escape the sun, which it dislikes, and is quite timid. It possesses neither venom nor a venomous stinger, so it’s a mystery why it was included in this exhibition, but that’s part of its charm. Its “dangerousness” based on its appearance is certainly on par with the main attraction.

Another highlight is the use of transparent specimens created with the latest technology for the “electric shock” type of electric eel, electric catfish, and electric ray.

Transparent specimens are a method of making biological specimens transparent through chemical treatment, allowing observation of internal structures without dissection. Conventional methods involved dissolving muscles and internal organs with strong chemicals, making it difficult to observe structures other than bone. However, in recent years, clearing techniques that allow observation of cells and genes within specimens without using strong chemicals have been developed one after another. This exhibition also uses an improved version of the CUBIC method, one of these techniques, making it possible to observe the structure of power-generating organs, which were previously difficult to visualize, in three dimensions.

This exhibition focuses on the deadly techniques of living creatures, aiming to unravel their amazing ecology and the hidden dangers of familiar organisms from a scientific perspective. However, reading the comments made by Shinichiro Kawada of the Department of Zoology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, who serves as the overall supervisor of the exhibition, it seems that behind the planning is a desire to convey the importance of “fearing correctly” based on scientific understanding.

Kawada warns against the mass media that sensationalizes the uncertain dangers of dangerous creatures, and against modern society surrounded by the internet overflowing with fake images and videos. Humans are creatures that feel not only fear but also admiration for those who possess abilities they lack, and they want to know more about them, imitate them, and surpass them. This thirst for knowledge has greatly driven the development of science, from anatomy to cutting-edge biochemistry and genetics. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the abilities of dangerous creatures are a “treasure trove of scientific knowledge,” and that much of it can be used for materials and technologies necessary for our lives.

As you explore this exhibition, you will come to realize that the knowledge needed to “fear appropriately” is a survival strategy for humanity that will lead to a better tomorrow.

At the press preview held prior to the exhibition, Akira Kawashima of the comedy duo Kirin, who serves as the exhibition’s ambassador and audio guide narrator, made an appearance.

Regarding his impressions of the exhibition, he commented, “There are many globally valuable materials, and the exhibition unfolds in a laboratory-like world in each area, so it felt like an attraction. As I went further in, I became more immersed, and I felt like I was part of the research team.” He said that the most noteworthy dangerous animal was the giraffe, and he said, “They are herbivores, and judging from their eyes, I thought they were gentle and cute, but when I saw the video, I learned that they can fight with necking, which is powerful enough to kill a person with their own neck. I felt bad for casually saying, ‘It’s a giraffe’,” which drew laughter from the audience.

Finally, they promoted the exhibition as follows:
“There was an exhibit showing that the weaker the scorpion’s venom, the larger its claws. It’s a lesson in how the weaker you are, the more likely you are to put on a brave face and pick a fight—a trait common to humans. After seeing the exhibit, you can reconsider what your own strengths are. You might find that it’s a compassionate heart, or the kindness to prioritize others—a strength unique to humans. I think it’s an exhibition where you can make such wonderful discoveries.”

The special exhibition “Exhibition of Extremely Dangerous Creatures: Science Takes on the Serious Challenges of Living Things” will run until June 14, 2026.

Special Exhibition “Exhibition of Extremely Dangerous Creatures: Science Takes on the Serious Challenges of Living Things” Overview

venue	National Museum of Nature and Science
Exhibition period	March 14th (Sat) – June 14th (Sun), 2026
Opening hours	9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM)
Open at night	From April 25th (Sat) to May 6th (Wed, holiday), the museum will be open until 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:30 PM).
Closed days	Monday, May 7th (Thursday) *However, the museum will be open on April 27th (Monday), May 4th (Monday/National Holiday), and June 8th (Monday).
Price (tax included)	General admission/University students: 2,300 yen; Elementary/Junior high/High school students: 600 yen (Tickets available on the day)
Organizer	National Museum of Nature and Science, TBS, TBS Growdia, Asahi Shimbun
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial), 03-5814-9898 (FAX)
Official website of the operator	https://chokikenseibutsuten.jp/

*Please note that the exhibition period, opening hours, and closing days may be subject to change.
*Please note that this information may not be up-to-date. For details, please check the exhibition’s official website.

 

Article provided by: Cocosil Ueno

---

View other reports

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is hosting the first-ever exhibition in Japan showcasing paintings from the Golden Age of Swedish art, which has been gaining global attention in recent years. The exhibition, "Swedish Paintings: Nordic Light, Everyday Brilliance," commemorating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, will run from Tuesday, January 27, 2026, to Sunday, April 12, 2026.

*All works shown are owned by the National Museum of Sweden.

Coastlines lined with rocky reefs. Majestic forests and lakes. Lands covered in harsh snow in winter. Traditional culture exemplified by midsummer festivals and a lifestyle of well-being. What we think of as "Swedishness" today was "rediscovered" by Swedish painters from the 1880s to around 1915, known as the Golden Age of Swedish art. With the full cooperation of the Nationalmuseum of Sweden, this exhibition systematically introduces the development of Swedish art during this Golden Age through approximately 80 paintings. It explores the uniquely Nordic sensibility of living a rich life in harmony with nature.

The exhibition is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1, "The Dawn of Modern Swedish Painting," begins with Nils Blommar, who is said to be the first painter to use Nordic mythology and folklore as themes, with the aim of establishing a uniquely Swedish art form.

Sweden was the first Nordic country to establish the Royal Academy of Drawings (later renamed the Royal Academy of Fine Arts) in 1735. Traditional art education was modeled on France, and Sweden's history and mythology were encouraged as important subjects, but by the mid-19th century, Sweden was strongly influenced by the new Romantic ideas that were gaining popularity in France and Germany. In landscape painting in particular, the works of painters from Düsseldorf, Germany, who dramatically depicted the ruggedness and sublimity of nature based on a meticulous view of nature, were seen as models, and many Nordic painters, including those from Sweden, traveled to that city in awe.

This trend was related to an exhibition of Nordic art held in Stockholm in 1850. Norwegian painters who had studied at the Düsseldorf School exhibited works at the exhibition depicting the lives of Norwegian peasants and the majestic landscapes of the fjords. To Swedish painters, these works appeared to be art that, while clothed in innovative foreign styles of expression, was deeply rooted in the real world of Scandinavia, and this sparked a desire to create a new, indigenous art form in their own country.

In the late 1870s, young Swedish painters, dissatisfied with the Academy's outdated teaching methods, headed to Paris in search of new forms of expression, values, and instruction. At the time in Paris, new forms of expression such as Impressionism, which overturned traditional artistic values, were flourishing, but many Swedish painters instead chose to gravitate towards realism and naturalism, which sought to capture humans and nature in their natural state.

Hugo Salmson (1843-1894), introduced in Chapter 2, "Towards Paris: Encounters with Modern French Painting," was one of the earliest Swedish painters to study in France. He favored the Barbizon School, which focused on peasants at work, as well as the Realist paintings of Jules Bastien-Lepage and Jules Breton. Looking at "The Gleaners," we can see that their influence is evident not only in the subject matter but also in the improvised, rough brushwork used to depict nature.

Another painter who came into contact with the plein air movement during his stay in Paris and acquired a style filled with bright, fresh colors and light was Arnold Josephson (1851-1906). In 1885, a group of young artists led by Josephson submitted a statement calling for reform to the outdated Royal Academy of Fine Arts. These artists, who chose to break away from the school, came to be known as the "Oponentena" (rebels), and would go on to lead the way in Swedish painting from the 1890s onwards.

Chapter 3, "The Artists' Village of Grez-sur-Loing," introduces the formation of artistic colonies (communities) across France by Scandinavian artists who began to place importance on outdoor art. In the 1880s, one of the bases for Swedish painters was the small village of Grez-sur-Loing, 70 kilometers southeast of Paris. They spent their summers here, capturing the daily lives of peasants and idyllic scenes along the Loing River.

The Swedish national painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) also moved to the same area when he was still unknown, where he encountered watercolors and discovered a new direction for his expression in light-hearted landscape paintings filled with dazzling light.

Towards the end of the 1880s, many Swedish painters who had been working in France returned home and aimed to create art that was distinctively Swedish, in order to demonstrate their national identity.

Chapter 4, "The Brilliance of Everyday Life – Living a 'Swedish' Lifestyle," features works by artists who have found motifs in the harsh yet bountiful nature, their own families, close friends, or the fleeting joys hidden in everyday life, and have depicted them with intimate and emotional expressions.

It was Larsson, in particular, who shaped the image of "Swedish living." Larsson lived in Lilla Hitnes, a two-story house in the rural town of Sundborn in the central Dalarna region, with his wife Karin, also a painter, and their seven children. The house was repeatedly renovated to suit the family's needs, and, influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement that was popular in England at the time, he skillfully combined furniture from various eras and styles and decorated the interiors with textiles and embroidery designed by Karin herself. With passion, he created his ideal home, a comprehensive work of art for living.

In Swedish society at the time, the idea was spreading that a simple yet comfortable living environment surrounded by "truly beautiful things" made by artisans would foster people's aesthetic sense and lead to the creation of a better society. Against this cultural background, Larsson published "Ett hem" (A Dwelling) in 1899, a collection of watercolors depicting the interior decoration of his own home, scenes of a lively and carefree lifestyle, and seasonal events. This became widely known as an image of the ideal home symbolizing "Swedishness."

Although "A Home" contains 24 watercolors, in order to protect the artworks, only one original painting will be exhibited at each venue in Tokyo, Yamaguchi, and Nagoya. Instead, nine more watercolors will be introduced through specially produced video content, conveying the heartwarming atmosphere of "Lilla Hittnes" on a large screen.

Anders Sohn (1860-1920), a friend of Larsson and one of Sweden's earliest internationally successful painters, also returned from Paris and settled in Mora, his hometown in Dalarna. Dalarna is a region particularly steeped in history and tradition, and Sohn frequently used the folk culture of Dalarna, such as its traditional music and dress, which was in the process of being lost in the shadow of modernization, as his subject matter. His captivating style is characterized by his quick brushstrokes, vividly capturing fleeting moments of light and air, and his work Kor-Margit Knitting remains one of Sweden's most beloved and frequently reproduced works to this day.

Meanwhile, Chapter 5, "Beyond Reality: Painting the Invisible World," focuses on painters who were interested in the invisible world beyond reality, such as Norse mythology linked to their own spiritual worlds and nationalism, and the visualization of folklore.

Famous for his illustrations for the Swedish fairy tale collection "Bland tomtar och troll," Jon Bauer (1882-1918) was a beloved illustrator known for his fantastical worldviews based on Nordic folk tales featuring trolls and forest fairies. His depictions of dimly lit forests, painted in subdued colors and seemingly possessing a will of their own, and the trolls, whose eeriness is tinged with melancholy and humor, evoke a sense of mystery and a strong sense of awe for nature.

A particularly unique figure is August Strindberg (1849-1912), Sweden's leading playwright and writer of the 19th century. Self-taught, Strindberg devoted himself to painting for only a limited period of his life, which coincided with a period of mental instability, including a slump in his playwriting, family discord, and an interest in occultism and chemical experiments. Using a painting knife, he created landscapes that directly appealed to the viewer's psyche, even his own state of mind, with a unique style that made the most of the coincidences and images that emerged from the unconscious in the creative process.

Chapter 6, "With Nature: The Creation of New Swedish Painting," is the highlight of the exhibition. Sweden was once considered a country with "nothing to paint," but from the 1890s onwards, painters began to "discover" Sweden's unique natural beauty, such as its lush forests and lakes, rocky coastlines, and snow-covered winter landscapes, and they began to seek out suitable ways of depicting it.

For example, Gustav Fjestad (1868-1948) was a painter who settled on the shores of Lake Lacken in Värmland, central-western Sweden, and continued to paint winter scenes throughout his life. His work, Winter Moonlight, is characterized by its voluminous, decorative depiction of the fluffy, rounded snow that covers the ground and conifers. The light effects created by his unique pointillism, which rhythmically layers small dots and lines to create a sense of unity as a surface, give the snowy world a mysterious and tranquil atmosphere that is characteristic of Fjestad.

In particular, landscape paintings of this period placed emphasis not only on exploring subject matter and techniques, but also on expressing emotion and atmosphere through the landscape. This was fulfilled by the soft, delicate light of dusk and dawn, which replaced the brilliant sunlight seen in works of the 1880s. On summer nights, the long periods of twilight and the blue light that enveloped the night gave a lyrical feel, illuminating Sweden's rich natural landscapes. This artistic trend, later known as "National Romanticism," gave rise to distinctively Swedish paintings not found in art from other countries.

Nils Kruger (1858-1930), who had a strong interest in horses working in various working environments since his time in Paris, continued to paint scenes of grazing horses, cows, and other livestock resting on the island of Uland, near his hometown of Kalmar, even after returning to Sweden. Heavily influenced by Van Gogh in his later years, Kruger's painting "The Coming of Night" emotionally captures the air and light of twilight, with a blue light filling half of the canvas, rendered in short, Van Gogh-esque strokes. A closer look reveals that the blue light not only fills the sky, but also pours down on the bodies of the grazing horses and the earth, creating a grand, fantastical atmosphere in an otherwise ordinary landscape.

Additionally, the audio guide for this exhibition (fees apply) incorporates "slow looking" into the special track, a first for the museum. This viewing program is also implemented in the Nationalmuseum's educational programs, and allows visitors to appreciate the artworks more deeply through the process of carefully observing each piece and asking questions, so be sure to check it out when you visit.

Overview of "Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum 100th Anniversary Exhibition: Swedish Paintings: Nordic Light, Everyday Brilliance"

*The content of this article is current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

---

View other reports