Feature Exhibition
Commemorating 250 Years of Artistic Excellence
New PerspectivesA Glimpse into the World of Akita-ranga Paintings
Though Japan’s interactions with the rest of the world were famously restricted during the Edo period (17th–19th century) due to their isolationist policies (“sakoku”), foreign cultures continued to be accepted in areas such as Nagasaki. This was especially the case in 1720, when shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune relaxed a ban on books that had been instituted to protect the country against the influx of Christianity. Following this, the importation of books from the West rapidly increased and rangaku, the study of European scholarship and arts, gradually began to flourish. It was amid that trend that Akita ranga—a school of Western-style paintings produced by warriors from the Akita feudal domain—was born.
Akita ranga, which brought a new style of realism to Edo-period paintings, has its beginnings some 250 years ago in 1773, when Satake Shozan, daimyo of Akita domain, and his retainer Odano Naotake met the naturalist Hiraga Gennai. This encounter led to Naotake’s subsequent referral in the following year to illustrate Sugita Genpaku’s Kaitai shinsho (lit. “A New Text on Anatomy”). To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the start of Akita ranga, this exhibition brings together masterpieces from the Akita Senshu Museum of Art, which is renowned for its superb collection of works in this genre. We invite you to take this opportunity to step the world of Akita-ranga painting, a style that, while fleeting, blended the aesthetics of the East and West in a novel way.
Exhibition Period |
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29 April (Sat) – 11 June (Sun) 2023 |
Venue |
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Room 11, Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall (4th floor) |
Special Support |
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Akita Senshu Museum of Art |
Tickets |
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Adults | 700 yen |
University students | 350 yen |
High school students, visitors under 18, and seniors above 70 | Free |
*For more information on ticket prices, please refer to this page.
Photography is permitted for all exhibits in this room!
Exhibition Highlights
Kaitai shinsho (A New Text on Anatomy)
Translated by Sugita Genpaku; illustrated by Odano
Naotake
Dated 1774
Akita Senshu Museum of Art
Lion
Odano Naotake
18th century
Akita Senshu Museum of Art
Hawk
Odano Naotake; inscription by Tōshū
18th century
Private collection (on loan to the Akita Senshu Museum of
Art)
Akita Prefecture—Designated
Cultural Property
Children and their Beloved Dog
Odano Naotake
18th century
Akita Senshu Museum of Art
Toad and Daoist Immortal
Satake Shozan
18th century
Akita Senshu Museum of Art
Don’t miss out on these works!
The following paintings, which have been designated as
Important Cultural Properties, will only be on display for a limited
time!
*All other works will be displayed for the entirety of the exhibition
period.
Shinobazu Pond by Odano Naotake
Display period: 29 April – 21 May 2023
Emperor Taizong with Birds and Flowers by Odano
Naotake
Display period: 23 May – 11 June 2023
Events
Please note that the events listed below will be held in Japanese only.No pre-registration required, first-come-first-served
Kyuhaku in 3-D: An Introduction to Akita-ranga Paintings
Kaitai shinsho (A New Text on Anatomy) was the first full translation of a Western medical text in Japan. The artist who illustrated it was Odano Naotake, a chief retainer of the Akita domain. 250 years ago, he was sent to Edo (present-day Tokyo), where he learnt Western painting and illustration techniques and used them to bring a new realism to Edo-period paintings. Join us on the opening day of this Feature Exhibition for a lecture by Ms. Matsuo Yuka, curator from the Akita Senshu Museum of Art, as she introduces the highlights of this exhibition.
No pre-registration required
Museum Talks: A Glimpse into the World of Akita-ranga Paintings
Session 2— Washizu Katsura (Researcher, Kyushu National Museum)