Kawakami Togai - Kawakami Togai

A literati painter in the early Meiji period and a pioneer of Western-style painting. Born on June 11, 1827, as the second son of Yamagishi Sezaemon in Fukushima Shinden Village, Matsushiro Domain, Shinano Province (Kamiminochi County, Nagano Prefecture). His childhood name was Onomatsu (or Onomatsu), which he later changed to Mannojo and later Kan. At the age of 18, he went to Edo and stayed at Toei-in Temple in Ueno, where he happened to meet the Shijo school painter Onishi Chinen, who was visiting, and studied under him. In 1851 (Kaei 4), he was adopted by Kawakami Sennosuke, a vassal of the shogunate, and entered the Bansho Shirabesho (Institute for the Investigation of Foreign Documents) to study Dutch studies. His talent for painting was recognized and he began researching Western painting techniques, later becoming its head when the Art Studies Bureau was established. In 1868 (Meiji 1), he was in charge of teaching drawing at the Numazu Military Academy, which was founded, and was later appointed as the art official at Daigaku Nanko. In 1871, he opened the Choka Dogakan art school in Okachimachi, Shitaya, where he taught Western painting, and among his students were Koyama Shotaro, Matsuoka Hisashi, and Takahashi Yuichi, who made a great contribution to the development of Western painting in the Meiji period. The Western Painting Guide he published at Daigaku Nanko was mainly based on the writings of the Englishman Robert Scott-Born, and played a major role in teaching Western painting. He died on May 3, 1881.

[Shinichi Nagai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治初期の文人画家、また洋風画の先覚者。信濃(しなの)国松代(まつしろ)領福島新田村（長野県上水内(かみみのち)郡）山岸瀬左衛門の二男として文政(ぶんせい)10年6月11日に生まれる。幼名を斧松(おのまつ)（あるいは尾之松と記す）と称し、長じて萬之丞、のち寛と改める。18歳のとき江戸に出て、上野東叡院にとどまっていたが、たまたま来訪した四条派の画家大西椿年(ちんねん)を知り、彼に師事した。1851年（嘉永4）幕府の家臣川上仙之助の養嗣子(ようしし)となり、蕃書調所(ばんしょしらべしょ)に入り蘭学(らんがく)の研鑽(けんさん)に努めた。またその画才を認められて西洋画法の研究にあたり、のち画学局が置かれるとその筆頭になった。68年（明治1）創立された沼津兵学校の絵図方として図画の指導を担当、のち大学南校の図画御用掛を命ぜられた。71年下谷(したや)御徒町(おかちまち)に画塾聴香読画館を開いて西洋画を教え、門下から小山(こやま)正太郎、松岡寿(ひさし)、高橋由一(ゆいち)らが輩出し、明治の洋画発展に大きく貢献した。彼が大学南校より刊行した『西画指南』は、主として英人ロベルト・スコットボルンの著書によったもので、西洋画指導に大きな役割を果たした。明治14年5月3日没。

［永井信一］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例