亜欧堂田善 江戸の洋風画家・創造の軌跡（千葉市美術館） Aodo Denzen, A Western style painter of the Edo period (Chiba City Museum of Art)

江戸後期に西洋風の絵を描いた画家と言えば、司馬江漢や秋田蘭画の画家達と並んで、亜欧堂田善の名前が思い浮かぶ。

これまではそのユニークな名前と何点かの作品しか知らなかったが、この展覧会でその生涯と多くの絵画や銅版画を目にすることができた。

田善は47歳で主君の白河藩主の松平定信に命じられて、西洋画を学び始めて大変な努力と試行錯誤の結果、見事な銅版画を作る技術を身につけた。

ヨーロッパからもたらされたローマの風景版画の構図を真似て浅草寺を描いたり、オリジナルの銅版画からいくつかのモチーフを集めて一つの作品を作り上げたりしている。

ちなみに、亜欧堂という名前は、松平定信がその才能を高く評価して付けたとのこと。

晩年は故郷の福島に帰り、地元の人々の求めに応じて月僊風の日本画を描いていたようだ。

他にも、同時代の司馬江漢や谷文晁の作品も展示されていて、当時の時代の雰囲気がよく表れていた。

Speaking of Western-style painters in the late Edo period, the name of Aodo Denzen comes to mind along with Shiba Kokan and Akita Ranga.

Until now, I only knew his unique name and a few works, but in this exhibition, I was able to see his life and many paintings and engravings.

At the age of 47, Tazen was ordered by his lord, Matsudaira Sadanobu, the lord of the Shirakawa domain, to begin studying Western painting.

He imitates the composition of Roman landscape prints brought from Europe to depict Senso-ji Temple, and collects several motifs from original copperplate prints to create a single work.

In his later years, he returned to his hometown of Fukushima, where he seems to have painted Japanese-style paintings in the style of the moon in response to the requests of the local people.

In addition, the works of Shiba Kokan and Tani Buncho, who were contemporary, were also exhibited, and the atmosphere of the time was well represented.