To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Uemura Shōen’s birth, our museum presents a selection of exquisite bijin-ga (paintings of beautiful women) from our collection, featuring works by Shōen and other artists. Explore the legacy of modern bijin-ga through the remarkable artistry Shōen brought to this genre.


Section 1. Trajectory of Bijin-ga Paintings Traced by Shōen and Others

The bijin-ga genre arose at the beginning of the Edo period (1603 onwards), when public taste started favoring paintings and woodblock prints showing, rather than in groups, single figures of beautifully dressed women. In this section, you can see Kanbun beauties, depicted during the Kanbun era (1661–1673), and subsequent works by ukiyo-e artists who continued the tradition.

Until the early modern period, artists primarily painted according to the wishes of their patrons. In the modern era, however, painters began to dedicate themselves fully to subjects they wished to depict, submitting their works to government-sponsored public exhibitions and refining their skills through personal artistic pursuit.

Uemura Shōen (1875–1949), all of whose works in this exhibition explore feminine beauty, is one of Japan’s pioneering artists. Throughout her life, she focused on discovering new ways of expressing her ideal of beauty. Younger artists looked up to her and many also began to specialize in bijin-ga depicting female beauty.

You can also view paintings by other female painters inspired by her work, such as Ikeda Shōen（1886–1917）, Shima Seien（1892–1970）, Itō Shōha（1877–1968）. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Shōen’s birth, enjoy this opportunity to visit the enchanting world of beauty inspired by her artistry.


Section 2. Divergent Trajectories: Tokyo and Kyoto

While Shōen was absorbed in painting bijin-ga in Kyoto, Kaburaki Kiyokata（1878–1972） was pioneering a similar path in Tokyo. Working with a vision born from Tokyo’s debonair, urbane culture, Kiyokata developed his modern style from the traditions of Edo ukiyo-e.

An excellent painter, Kiyokata was also an outstanding teacher. His art school attracted a diverse group which included Itō Shinsui（1898–1972）, Ōbayashi Chimaki（1887–1959）, and Kadoi Kikusui（1886–1976）. Tutored by Kiyokata each was able to develop their own distinctive talent.
During the Taishō era (1912–1926), young artists under Kiyokata were active in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, Kainoshō Tadaoto（1894–1978）, Okamoto Shinsō（1894–1933）, and other painters of the same generation were also discovering their own unique styles. Tanikado Hisaharu（1893–1971）, for example, created many elegant representative paintings of beautiful women and then, in his later years, his work became boldly abstract as he attempted to capture reisai, the aural color of soul and spirit. Richly diverse bijin-ga painting continues to evolve.


Section 3. Continuing Flight Path

In Japan, the fascination with capturing essential female beauty also gripped artists working, in a more Western tradition, with oils and other materials. Works by these early 20th century artistic rivals, including Kishida Ryūsei（1891–1929）, Okada Saburōsuke（1869–1939）, Koiso Ryōhei（1903–1988）, and Tōgō Seiji（1897–1978） are also on show. See how they competed to express beauty in the simple figure of a village girl, the fuller body of a mature woman, women in Western and ethnic clothing, innocent girls at play… Enjoy following complete trajectories of bijin-ga, an art that has endured for centuries.

At the second venue, the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts and Culture, the exhibition continues with Ukiyo-e,the Launch Pad for Bijin-ga.
And thanks to the many positive feedbacks about Lively Tuesday event  which have been conducted since last summer, we now make every Tuesday and Sunday as a permanent ‘Art Chat Day’. We warmly invite you to visit Arashiyama in its brilliant autumn colors and serene winter beauty.

Exhibition Overview