In Japan, Higashiyama Kaii is a household name. Everyone has heard of his most famous paintings. Traveling all over Japan, he distinctively captured views woven by nature. He specialized in landscapes and learned by painting in foreign lands. After studying in Germany, Kaii painted scenes in Europe, China, and other parts of the world.

This exhibition will show all 28 of the museum’s holding of Kaii’s works. These include, The Blue Danube, a view over the river from Melk Abbey in Austria and, on display for the first time at Fukuda Art Museum, Evening Cool, which depicts Shugakuin Imperial Villa in Kyoto. In a special exhibition, you can also see Hana Akari [Cherry Blossoms Illuminate the Evening], Kaii’s rendering of the famous Gion weeping cherry in Kyoto Maruyama Park. Other works on show include paintings by Kaii’s contemporaries, such as Yokoyama Taikan and Hishida Shunsō, who sought to up their game by travelling to America and Europe. You can also see paintings by overseas artists who influenced modern Japanese painters. Among these are works by Camille Corot, who laid the foundations of modern Western landscape painting and, representative of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet.

We hope you will enjoy a rewarding journey through the spirit of place as expressed in Fukuda Collection landscape paintings.

Exhibition Overview