Detail
| Cultural Resources Category | Paintings |
|---|---|
| Title | Palatial Residence |
| Cities / Towns | Sano |
| Owner / Manager | Yoshizawa Memorial Museum of Art |
| Description | Kobori Tomoto Palatial Residence 114.6 cm (vertical), 41.3 cm (horizontal) Kobori Tomoto (1864–1931) was born in Konakamura, Aso County, Shimotsukenokuni (present-day Sano City). He learned painting from his father (Suto Ansai), who painted while working in agriculture and specialized in creating samurai images for banners and ema wooden votive tablets, and also from his older brother (Suto Keiun), who created landscapes in a style similar to literati painting. He also studied the Japanese and Chinese classics. He became a disciple of Kawasaki Chitora in 1884 and studied the manners and customs of the imperial court, nobility and warrior families, and the Tosa school of Japanese style painting. He also participated in a project to reproduce ancient paintings, which helped him deepen his knowledge and elevate the prestige of his own artwork. He taught at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) and also contributed to establishing the Nihon Bijutsuin (Japan Art Institute). In response to an increasing demand for historical paintings, he organized the Rekishi Fuzokugakai with Mizuno Toshikata and other peers. He was a judge at the Bunten (art exhibition sponsored by the Ministry of Education) held in 1907 and was appointed as an Imperial Art Expert in 1917. He was respected as a leading expert in historical paintings due to his realistic compositions, depictions of human figures, and focus on historical facts, while following the style of Yamato-e, the traditional Japanese style painting that originated during the Heian period (794–1192). One of his disciples was Yasuda Yukihiko. He passed in 1931. This painting depicts the historical moment when Emperor Nintoku, upon seeing no smoke rising from the town’s houses from his palatial residence, decided to stop compulsory labor for three years to alleviate his people’s struggles. This subject was a favored theme in paintings, and it appeared in Nihonshoki (The Chronicles of Japan) and Kojiki (The Records of Ancient Matters), as well as Zenken Kojitsu (a collection of biographies of Japanese historical figures) by Kikuchi Yosai. Tomoto created multiple artworks based on this theme. According to the seal, this piece is one of the artworks he submitted to the Kokufu Hyakugakai (Japanese Traditional Paintings Exhibition) held at Karasawayama Shrine in 1900. |
| Copyright | 著作権なし－契約による制限あり |
| Hyper Link | 佐野市立吉澤記念美術館 |
