Biography Takeuchi, Seihô 竹内 栖鳳 (1864 - 1942)
Seihō was born in Kyoto and was trained by Tsuchida Eirin and Kōno Bairei. He was a key-figure of the Kyoto painting circle of his time. He was considered the last meijin (master artist) by his contemporaries. The start of his career coincided with the development of Nihonga style of painting. Like many Kyoto artists of his time, he was also involved in textile design in the early years of his professional life. A visit to Europe in 1901 proved decisive for the next stage in the development of his style and themes. Seihō’s work of this period can best be characterised as a successful fusion of the best of Japanese painting techniques and styles, and Western art. In the second half of his career his main sources of inspiration were China and haiku poetry. His key-concept was shasei (sketching from life) in which he was committed to catching the essence of his object. His depiction of animals and landscapes is superb. From the 1890s when his reputation was firmly established, Seihō became active as an instructor at the Kyoto Municipal Special School of painting, where he briefly associated with Yokoyama Taikan, and at his private studio. His best-known pupils are Nishiyama Suishō, Uemura Shōen, Nishimura Goun, and Tsuchida Bakusen, whom he supported in their individual development, even when they decided to break away from the Bunten, where Seihō was a judge. He presided over the Kyoto art world for more than thirty years.
References: Araki, Tsune (ed), Dai Nihon shôga meika taikan, Tokyo 1975 (1934), p.1633 Conant, Ellen P., Nihonga, transcending the past: Japanese-style painting, 1868-1968, Saint Louis 1995, p. 322-323 Harada, Heisaku, Takeuchi Seihô, Kyoto 1981 Morioka, Michiyo and Paul Berry, Modern Masters of Kyoto, Seattle 1999, pp. 130-137 Roberts, Laurance P., A Dictionary of Japanese artists, New York, 1976, p.171
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See also paintingss from Nishiyama, SuishŠ西山 ç¿ å¶‚ (1879-1958)
See also paintings from Nishimura, Goun 西村 五雲 (1877-1938)
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