Parrot on an Ancient Pine
Takeuchi Seihō Japanese
Not on view
A pink and white parrot is perched on a branch of an old, twisted pine tree. Dense clusters of pine needles comprise the lower half of the composition. Takeuchi Seihō, one of the pioneers of Nihonga, or modern “Japanese-style painting,” was one of the most celebrated artists of prewar Kyoto. Born and raised there, Seihō from an early age immersed himself in the traditional painting styles of the Maruyama and Shijō schools. Early in his career he traveled to Europe, to attend the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, and to study there so that he could incorporate Western styles and concepts in his repertory. He was especially inspired by Western forms of realism borrowed from the techniques of J. M. W. Turner and Camille Corot. This hybrid Japanese and Western style subsequently emerged as one of the principal styles of modern Nihonga.
