Naojiro Harada

Japanese: 原田直次郎 - はらだ・なおじろう

Year of death: December 26, 1899 (Meiji 32)
Year of birth: Bunkyu 3.8.30 (1863.10.12)
A Western-style painter of the Meiji period. The second son of Harada Kazumichi, a samurai of Okayama. Born in Edo. In 1881, he completed his studies in French at the Tokyo School of Foreign Languages, and the following year, he began studying Western painting at Ten-e Gakusha. In 1884, he went to Munich at his own expense to study art, and studied under Gabriel Max, a painter of historical painting. He learned the solid realistic painting techniques of the German official school, and was also strongly influenced by the style of German romanticism. Works he created during his stay in Germany include "The Old Shoemaker" (Tokyo University of the Arts). In Munich, he became friends with Mori Ogai, and Harada is said to be the model for the protagonist Kose in Ogai's "Utakata no Ki." He returned to Japan in 1847, and the following year established the art school Shobikan in his home, where he taught artists such as Wada Eisaku and Miyake Katsumi. In 1849, he participated in the founding of the Meiji Art Association, and the following year, he exhibited his large-scale work "Kannon Riding a Dragon" at the 3rd Domestic Industrial Exposition. This work is known for starting a debate over the subject matter between Toyama Shoichi and Ogai. In 1928, he won the third prize for his work "Soson-kirihebi" at the 4th Domestic Industrial Exposition. During this time, he also created illustrations for Ogai's "Omokage" and the cover of "Mesamashi-gusa." Although he was considered an old-school artist compared to Kuroda Seiki and others, he is one of the leading Western-style painters of the Meiji period.

(Hideo Miwa)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治32.12.26(1899)
生年：文久3.8.30(1863.10.12)
明治期の洋画家。岡山藩士原田一道の次男。江戸生まれ。明治14(1881)年東京外国語学校仏語科を終え,翌年から天絵学舎で西洋画法を学ぶ。17年,美術研究を目的にミュンヘンへ自費留学,歴史画派のガブリエル・マックスに師事する。ドイツ官学派の手堅い写実画法を学ぶとともに,ドイツ浪漫主義の作風にも強く影響を受けた。滞独中の作品に「靴屋の阿爺」(東京芸大蔵)などがある。ミュンヘンでは森鴎外と親交し,鴎外の『うたかたの記』の主人公巨勢は原田がモデルとされる。20年帰国し,翌年自宅に画塾鍾美館を設け,和田英作,三宅克己らを指導した。22年明治美術会創立に参加,翌年の第3回内国勧業博覧会には大作「騎竜観音」を出品。この作品は,外山正一と鴎外との間で画題論争を起こしたことで知られる。28年第4回内国勧業博覧会に「素尊斬蛇」で妙技3等賞を受賞。この間,鴎外の『於母影』などの挿絵や『めさまし草』の表紙絵も描く。黒田清輝らに対し旧派とされたが,明治を代表する洋画家のひとり。

(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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