Maeda Seison

Japanese painter. His real name was Renzo. He was born in Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture. He moved to Tokyo in 1901 (Meiji 34) and studied under Kajita Hanko. In 1907, he joined the Koji Society with Imamura Shiko and Yasuda Yukihiko and continued his studies. At the first exhibition of the revived Japan Art Academy in 1914 (Taisho 3), his works "The Therapeutic Bath" and "The Bamboo Cutter" were recognized and he was recommended as a member. In 1922, he traveled to Europe with Kobayashi Kokei as a student of the Japan Art Academy, where he copied "Scroll of a Lady's Prostitution" at the British Museum and returned to Japan the following year. His clear and fresh style of painting, which was a unique blend of Yamato-e and Rinpa techniques, attracted attention, and his 1927 (Showa 2) "The Roman Embassy" (Waseda University) and 1929 "Yoritomo in the Cave" (Okura Museum of Art, Tokyo) were particularly well received. In addition to the Inten exhibition, he also exhibited at the Bunten exhibition and the Nitten exhibition after World War II, and was appointed a member of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in 1935, an Imperial Household Artist in 1944, and was awarded the Order of Culture in 1955 (Showa 30). He also served as a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts from 1951 to 1959, and later supervised and oversaw the reproduction of the murals in the Golden Hall of Horyu-ji Temple in 1967 and the reproduction of the murals in the Takamatsuzuka Tomb in 1973. Other representative works include "Poppy", "Sarcophagus", "Omizutori", "Journey to the West", and "Red and White Plum Blossoms". In 1966, the Nakatsugawa City Seison Memorial Museum was built in his hometown (closed in 2015).

[Minoru Harada January 19, 2017]

"The Enchantment of Drawing - Seison's Writings" (1979, Shinchosha)" ▽ "Complete Works of Modern Japanese Art 15: Maeda Seison" (edited by Hisatomi Mitsugu, 1973, Shueisha)" ▽ "Complete View of Japanese Drawings 5: Maeda Seison" (edited by Seki Chiyo, 1984, Kodansha)" ▽ "Japanese Masterpieces 15: Maeda Seison" (edited by Kawakita Michiaki, Takashina Shuji, and others, 1977, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Complete Works of Modern Japanese Picture Scrolls 9 & 10: Maeda Seison I & II" (edited and annotated by Kawakita Michiaki, annotated by Seki Chiyo, 1981, 1984, Shogakukan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本画家。本名廉造。岐阜県中津川に生まれる。1901年（明治34）に上京し、梶田半古(かじたはんこ)に師事。1907年に今村紫紅(しこう)、安田靫彦(ゆきひこ)らの紅児(こうじ)会に加わって研究を重ねた。1914年（大正3）の再興日本美術院の第1回展で『湯治場』『竹取(たけとり)』が認められて同人に推挙され、1922年に日本美術院留学生として小林古径(こけい)とともに渡欧し、大英博物館で『女史箴図巻(じょししんずかん)』を模写、翌年帰国した。大和(やまと)絵や琳派(りんぱ)の技法を独自に消化した明快で清新な画風が注目され、1927年（昭和2）の『羅馬(ローマ)使節』（早稲田(わせだ)大学）、1929年の『洞窟(どうくつ)の頼朝(よりとも)』（東京・大倉集古館）はことに高い評価を得た。院展のほか文展、第二次世界大戦後の日展にも出品し、1935年に帝国美術院会員、1944年に帝室技芸員にあげられ、1955年（昭和30）には文化勲章を受章した。また1951年から1959年まで東京芸術大学教授を務め、その後も1967年の法隆寺金堂壁画再現模写、1973年の高松塚古墳壁画模写事業をそれぞれ監修、監督した。ほかに代表作として『罌粟(けし)』『石棺』『お水取(みずとり)』『西遊記』『紅白梅図』などがあげられる。1966年、郷里に中津川市青邨記念館が建設された（2015年閉館）。

［原田　実　2017年1月19日］

『『作画三昧――青邨文集』（1979・新潮社）』▽『久富貢編『現代日本美術全集15　前田青邨』（1973・集英社）』▽『関千代編『日本画素描大観5　前田青邨』（1984・講談社）』▽『河北倫明・高階秀爾他監修『日本の名画15　前田青邨』（1977・中央公論社）』▽『河北倫明監修・解説、関千代解説『現代日本絵巻全集9・10　前田青邨Ⅰ・Ⅱ』（1981、1984・小学館）』

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