木島櫻谷（泉屋博古館東京） Okoku Konoshima (Sen-Oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo)

 

木島櫻谷といえば、夏目漱石が酷評したという、寒月という作品くらいしか知らなかなった。

馴染みの美術館で展覧会が行われると聞いて、足を運んでみた。

残念ながら、その寒月はすでに展示期間が終わっていて目にすることはできなかったが、近代の京都画壇を代表する日本画家、という看板に相応しい素晴らしい作品を目にすることができた。

木島櫻谷は、動物の描き方でとりわけ評価されているが、駅路之春という屏風絵では、足を休めている馬たちの柔らかい表情に加えて、旅の疲れを癒している昔の人々の表情や仕草も、見事に描かれていて、何度も後ろに下がったり近づいたりして、見入ってしまった。

様々な山の写生などをもとに、木島櫻谷が創造した風景として描いた万壑烟霧という屏風絵の作品は、さながら理想郷のような趣があり、その世界観を十二分に堪能できた。

Speaking of Okoku Konoshima, I only knew about the work called Kangetsu, which Natsume Soseki had severely criticized.

When I heard that an exhibition was being held at a museum I knew well, I went to see it.

Unfortunately, the exhibition period for Kangetsu was already over and I was not able to see it, but I was able to see a wonderful work worthy of the signboard of a Japanese painter representing the modern Kyoto art world.

Okoku Konoshima is particularly appreciated for his depiction of animals, and in the Ekiji no Haru folding screen painting, in addition to the soft expressions of horses resting their feet, there are also images of people in the past relieving their travel fatigue. The facial expressions and gestures are also beautifully drawn, and I had to step back and approach them many times to stare at them.

Based on various mountain sketches, Okoku Konoshima drew a landscape created by him, a folding screen painting titled Bangan Enmu. It was just like a utopia, and I was able to fully enjoy the world view.