European art movements for a Japanese audience

Sakuma Seiichi (佐久間政一).

Hyōgen-ha no Geijutsu 表現派の藝術. (The Art of Expressionism).

Tokyo, Nihon Bijutsu Gakuin 1922 (Taishō 11).

6, 196 pages, few illustrations, one of which is in color.

20 x 14 cm. Illustrated original brochure.

EUR 200

Sakuma Seiichi was a Japanese art critic and intellectual who was particularly committed to the avant-garde. He was one of the mediators who systematically processed new European art movements for a Japanese audience. In addition to this work, he wrote other texts on art theory and aesthetics. His texts are a valuable source for research into Japanese modernism (Mavo movement, proletarian art).

The book is one of the earliest Japanese treatises on expressionism. In it, the author analyzes the shift away from naturalism toward an art form that emphasizes the subjective and emotional. It not only deals with painting, but also understands expressionism as a comprehensive mindset that also influences literature and architecture. It introduces European role models (such as the German expressionists) and discusses their relevance to the Japanese art world.

OCLC lists only one copy outside Japan.

Uncut copy, spine more heavily browned, dedication on the last page (publisher’s notice), otherwise a fine copy.