Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
JAPAN'S ART MASTERS
SCULPTURE OF WOODEN FIGURES
CARRIED NEAR PERFECTION. d,
Wrought by Men Without Special
Training and Without Aid
of Models.

From the London House.
japanese artists, having little or no
knowledge of anatomy. could not draw the
human figure with anything approaching
classic accuracy; but the history Of Matsu-
motto Kisaburo and his school completely
upsets this theory. This man, in the rank
of ordinary mechanic, suddenly began
to sculpture wooden figures as faultlessly
anatomically as the works of Greek mas
tiers. Without special education Of any kind.
without even an opportunity to study mod
els In a studio not only did Matsumoto
prove the unerring accuracy of his OBJ
servation, but his pupils and SUCCESSORS
also evInced the same capacity. Their
fault was over-realism; their works were
entirely objective. Still, they showed that
even the commonest class of artists in
Japan can accurately model the surface
of the human body without knowing any
thing about the underlying bones or
muscles, 1t may be noted en- PEASANT that
proof of a similar faculty has been given
by modern japanese painters. The best
OF them in former times never limned any
thing resembling real tiger. They painted
tigers skin admirably, but what they
put inside the skin was fabulous monster.
They had never seen a tiger.
Progress of Idealism.
But now that western civilization has
brought the circus in its train. they are
able. having seen, 10 place that already
perfect skin upon an irreproachable mass
of ferocious. snarling energy. true to life in
every detail. AS for Matsumotos school
of wood carvers, the element of fdealism
wanting in their work has now been sup
piled by experts of the Art Academy, who
sent to the Toxic exhibition sculptures OF
the very highest merit, quite faultless an
atomically and showing grace. tenderness
and softness such as never previously dis
tinguished Japanese carvings In wood.
Since the seventh century the glyptic artist
in Japan has been able to depict majesty,
ferocity benigntty and decreptude, alone
or in combination. and since the sixteenth
his chisel has produced, with unsurpassed
fidelity, birds, flowers, insects, fishes and
other natural objects. But only now has
he attempted TO show the normal human
figure in its gentle, pathetic, passionate
and tranquil aspects. In this field he seems
likely to achieve what has long been hoped
from him-the union of modern technical
methods with old and purely japanese ar
tistic instincts.
japanese Decoration.
In short, with art the present is a time
of renaissance for this nation, and We
have to congratulate ourselves that we. too,
may benefit from the increased attention
recent events must focus upon this inter-
esting development. AS far as decoration
is concerned, an important point to be re-
membered is that in the use of such orna-
ments the Japanese confine themselves
strictly more or less to one flower for one
room. They know nothing of the nosegay
style of arrangement. Chrysanthemums
are of course, the ideal flower, and a few
left with long stems, and arranged in pots,
give Just that touch which shows that the
Interpretation of the style has been carried
out in enlightened manner.