The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16

4 tury Club an exhibition of paint
ings by one of Japan's representative
artists OF this decade.
The Western world is just awakening
10 the fact that in the Land of the
Rising Sun may be found a develop
ment OF the pictorial arts which,
though different from our own, is fully
as great. and possibly. in some re-
spects, greater
Advanced art students seeking fur
ther instruction and sources of inspira-
ton are vending their way to the
Orient TO study its achievements: and
educational institutions in this coun-
try and Europe are including Oriental
art as a most important culture SUBJ
5ect in their courses of instruction.
San Francisco-by virtue of her loca-
tion, being the gateway from the ORR
ent TO this country-has for some years
offered unusual educa tional facilities
for becoming acquainted with Eastern
art through the wares displayed in her
shops.
This has resulted in a genuine and
sincere interest in japanese color
prints and painting; an interest which
msnifests itself when any opportunity
is presented for the acquisition Of any
further knowledge on this subject
No sooner had Mr.. Ikkwa Nagai
sailed in from the Orient than the
thought Of a possible exhibition in Jap
anese effects presented itself. and the
keen interest and appreciation which
was expressed for his work was not
; only a testimony to his ability, but
also 30 the culture OF the San Francisco
people as well For, be it known, Jap
anese painting is the caviar of art and
only people Of trained sensibilities and
poetic art feeling can rise 70 the COM
prehension of it.
japanese pictures have been sent to
this country ever since the little brown
man felt that he had gained a firm
footing in the Occident, but never be-
fore has the opportunity presented it
self for the people Of the West to see
+ japanese art in the real sense Of the
word.
Nor would this opportunity have
slipped in so timely had not Mr.
, Nagai taken it into his head TO travel
about the world and take a peep al
the work OF his brothers in order that
) he might know just what was being
accomplished in the world of paints
4, and delightful. dreamy ideals. Al
home, in Toxic, he is known as the
artist who won three gold medals al
the Kwai-gwa-kyo-shin lwai, or in
plain English, the imperial fine arts
exhibition; but here, if he was known
1T all, IL was merely as the man who
made a specially Of crows. And now
after his exhibition he is known more
than ever as the crow man." fol-
though he had fully half a hundred
paintings on the walls his favorite
study undoubtedly had the strongesi
qualities The great black masses
against the soft gray white grounds
could be seen from the most distant
part OF the building. and one almos
felt ones self in the vicinity of the
crows nests and listened unconsciousls
for their cawing. for there were crow,
singly and in pairs. on the wing and
at rest, in conjugal harmony and IL
fierce conflict. But in addition tC
these, upon closer inspection could b.
seen De2uuful mower compositions IN
Guiding the morning glory, the iri
and the lotus. done after the manne1
of Korin, whose style has left sucl
a marked influence on modern French
art. There were also delightful fisl
subjects. in which could be seen tn
Oriental carp leaping the waterfall o.
disporting himself in other ways, don'
according TO the Shijo style, and
number OF landscapes that spok'
strongly OF Chinese influence.
1t was gratifying TO see Japanes,
art in its purity, for 1t must be ad
mitted regretfully that there is a pre-
vailing disposition among japanese
artists 10 forsake the traditions OF
their ancestors and adopt European
methods, generally resulting disas