Tsune Nakamura

Japanese: 中村彝 - なかむら・つね

Year of death: December 24, 1924
Year of birth: July 3, 1887
A Western-style painter from the Meiji and Taisho periods. The third son of Nakamura Junsei. Born in Mito City. Losing his parents at a young age, he moved to Tokyo in 1898 and grew up at his eldest brother's house. In 1901, he dropped out of Waseda Junior High School and entered the Nagoya Regional Cadet School. After graduating in 1902, he entered the Central Army Cadet School in Tokyo, but dropped out due to pulmonary tuberculosis. The following year, while recuperating in Hojominato, Chiba Prefecture, he became acquainted with watercolor painting, which led him to aspire to become a painter. In 1904, he attended the Hakuba-kai Research Institute. It was here that he met Nakahara Teijiro, who he would become friends with for the rest of his life. The following year, he followed Nakahara and transferred to the Taiheiyo Gakai Research Institute. In 1906, he met Ogiwara Morie, who was deeply influenced by him, and he also became interested in Rembrandt. The following year, he exhibited "Iwa" at the 3rd Bunten Exhibition, received a commendation, and made his debut in the art world. In 1908, he became a member of the Taiheiyo Gakai (Pacific Art Association), and won third place at the 4th Bunten Exhibition in the same year for his strongly impressionistic "Seaside Village" (Tokyo National Museum collection), and again won third place at the 5th Bunten Exhibition the following year for "Woman." In 1909, he moved to the studio of the late Ogihara Morie behind Nakamuraya in Tsunohara, Yodobashi Ward (Shinjuku), where he lived until 1915. This time in Shinjuku was a time of intense psychological conflict, including his feelings towards Nakamuraya's wife, Soma Kokko, and their eldest daughter, Toshiko, and his creative struggles. In his creative endeavors, such as "Girl" (3rd place at the 8th Bunten Exhibition), which used Toshiko as his model, he developed a style that showed a strong inclination towards Renoir, and he also showed an interest in Cezanne. He later exhibited works such as "Portrait of Dr. Tanakadate" (10th Bunten Exhibition) and was considered one of the most noteworthy artists at the official exhibitions. In particular, his "Portrait of Mr. Eroshenko" (Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art Collection), which was exhibited at the 2nd Teiten Exhibition in 1920, drew great acclaim. His later works include "Portrait of an Aged Mother." His posthumous collection of writings includes "The Infinite Sense of Life."

(Hideo Miwa)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正13.12.24(1924)
生年：明治20.7.3(1887)
明治大正期の洋画家。中村順正の3男。水戸市生まれ。幼時に両親を失い,明治31(1898)年上京し長兄宅で育つ。34年早稲田中学を中退して名古屋地方幼年学校へ入学,37年卒業のち東京の中央陸軍幼年学校に入学したが肺結核のため退校,翌年千葉県北条湊で療養中水彩画に親しんだことが画家を志望する契機となった。39年,白馬会研究所へ通う。ここで中原悌二郎を知り終生交友した。翌年中原を追い太平洋画会研究所へ移る。41年荻原守衛を知り強い感化を受け,レンブラントにも傾倒した。翌年第3回文展に「巌」を出品,褒状を受け画壇にデビュー。43年太平洋画会会員となり,同年の第4回文展に印象派的色彩の濃い「海辺の村」(東京国立博物館蔵)で3等賞を受賞,翌年の第5回文展でも「女」で連続3等賞を受けた。また,44年から淀橋区(新宿)角筈の中村屋裏の故荻原守衛のアトリエへ移り,大正4(1915)年まで住む。この新宿時代は,中村屋夫人相馬黒光と長女俊子への感情,創作上の苦心など,心理的葛藤の最も激しい時期であった。制作上では,俊子をモデルにした「少女」(第8回文展3等賞)などで,ルノワールへの強い傾倒を示す作風を展開,またセザンヌへの関心も示した。その後,「田中館博士の肖像」(第10回文展)などを発表し,官展で最も注目すべき作家とされ,特に大正9年の第2回帝展に出品した「エロシェンコ氏の像」(東京国立近代美術館蔵)は大きな称賛を呼んだ。晩期の作品に「老母の像」などがある。遺稿集に『生命の無限感』。

(三輪英夫)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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