Fenollosas Legacy in Late Nineteenth-Century Japan - An American Scholars Role in Resurrecting the Art of Japan

Fenollosa's Legacy in Late Nineteenth Century Japan: An American Scholar's Role in Resurrecting the Art of Japan makes a critical assessment of American art theorist Ernest F. Fenollosa's work in Meiji Japan. Ernest F. Fenollosa was first hired as a Tokyo University professor of political philosophy in 1878 but became an art theorist and policymaker for Japan's Education Ministry. His illustrious career as an art administrator began with the 1882 Bijutsu shinsetsu speech that cemented the reputation of his work. Working closely with Okakura Kakuz¿ (Tenshin), Fenollosa became the lightning rod in defining the course of modern painting as well as in establishing the first national art school. He is widely credited with resurrecting moribund traditional Japanese painting to health. The author shows this assessment of Fenollosa as the savior of Japanese traditional painting work may not have been deserved by examining the historical context in which he made the 1882 speech. The book offers the first English translation of Fenollosa's 1882 Bijutsu shinsetsu speech that had been previously unavailable to the non-Japanese reading audience.

List of contents

Ernest F. Fenollosa: An Introduction
Chapter 1. The Art World in the Early Meiji and Fenollosa
Chapter 2. English Translation of Bijutsu shinsetsu
Chapter 3. Textual Analysis of Bijutsu shinsetsu
Chapter 4. The Legacy of Bijutsu shinsetsu

About the author

By Hiroshi Nara

Product details

• Authors: Hiroshi Nara, Nara Hiroshi
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 15.07.2024
• EAN: 9781666948295
• ISBN: 978-1-66694-829-5
• No. of pages: 166
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Miscellaneous; Japan, Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, ART / History / General, HISTORY / Asia / Japan, ART / Asian / Japanese, History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900, c 1800 to c 1900, History of Art, Later 19th century c 1850 to c 1899, Asian History, Oriental art