was the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

of a major figure in Taishō and early

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

Japanese painting is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese visual arts, encompassing a wide variety of genres and styles. As with the history of Japanese arts in general, the long history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competitio ...

, and is regarded as one of the founders of the Japanese painting technique of '' nihonga''. His real name was Yasuda Shinzaburō.

Biography

He was born in

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The current ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, as the fourth son of a Japanese restaurant owner. He initially studied Tosa school painting at the ''Tōkyō Bijutsu Gakkō'' (the predecessor to the

Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music or is the most prestigious art school in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained renowned artists in the fields of painting, scul ...

), under Kobori Tomoto. While in school, his talent was recognized by

Okakura Kakuzō (also known as 岡倉天心 Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese scholar and art critic who in the era of Meiji- Restoration reform defended traditional forms, customs and beliefs. Outside Japan, he is chiefly renowned for ''The Book of Tea: A Japa ...

who sent him to

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

to study classical paintings in the '' Yamato-e'' style. While in Nara, he first viewed the ancient

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

s on the walls of the Kondo chapel of the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple of Hōryū-ji, and this was to have a deep impact on his future style of painting. From 1914, Yasuda assisted

Yokoyama Taikan was the art-name of a major figure in pre-World War II Japanese painting. He is notable for helping create the Japanese painting technique of ''Nihonga''. Early life Yokoyama was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture, as the eldest son of S ...

in re-establishing the

Japan Fine Arts Academy is the highest-ranking official artistic organization in Japan. It is established as an extraordinary organ of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁, Bunkacho) in the thirty-first article of the law establishing the Ministry of Ed ...

(''Nihon Bijutsuin''). From 1944 to 1951, he taught as a professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. In 1948, he was awarded the Order of Culture by the Japanese government, and was appointed a member of the

Japan Art Academy is the highest-ranking official artistic organization in Japan. It is established as an extraordinary organ of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁, Bunkacho) in the thirty-first article of the law establishing the Ministry of Ed ...

. In the post-war period, he assisted

Maeda Seison was the art-name of a nihonga painter in the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. His legal name was Maeda Renzō. He is considered one of the greatest contemporary Japanese painters, and one of the leaders of the Nihonga movement. Biography ...

on restoration and preservation work on the murals of Hōryū-ji. Yasuda was known primarily for his paintings on historical themes, and occasionally for

portraiture A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this re ...

or bird-and-flower paintings. One of his principal disciples was noted ''Nihonga'' painter

Yuki Ogura was a Japanese ''nihonga'' painter. Her maiden name was Yuki Mizoguchi. She was known for her ''bijinga.'' Biography Ogura was born in Ōtsu city, Shiga Prefecture and graduated from the Nara Women's Normal School (the predecessor of Nara Wo ...

Important works

Yasuda's works have been selected as the subject of commemorative postage stamps three times by the Japanese post office: * 1981: ''Spring in Asuka with Nukada Okimi'', as part of the Modern Art series. * 1986: ''Mount Fuji'', to commemorate the 1986 Tokyo Summit * 1996: ''Window'', to commemorate the 1996 Philatelic Week

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yasuda, Yukihiko 1884 births 1978 deaths Nihonga painters Artists from Tokyo 20th-century Japanese painters Buddhist artists Imperial household artists