Togyū Okumura

Togyū Okumura (奥村 土牛, Okumura Togyū, 18 February 1889 – 25 September 1990) was a famous Japanese modern painter of the Nihonga style of watercolour painting. His original name was Yoshizō (義三). The name Togyū referred to a poem from his father who ran a publishing business.

Togyü Okumura while working.

Okumura is characterized by his works which achieve unusual, exquisite quality of colours through the application of the white gofun pigment 100 or 200 times as foundation.

Biography

• 1889 Born in Kyōbashi, Tokyo.
• 1900 Completes shogakko (junior school).
• 1926 Makes the acquaintance of Hayami Gyoshu.
• 1959 Becomes a director of the Japanese fine arts institute.
• 1962 Awarded the Japanese Order of Culture.
• 1978 Appointed chief director of the Japanese fine arts institute.
• 1990 Dies aged 101.

Major works

He painted Mount Fuji, which is in the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

• 鳴門 (1959, 128.5×160.5 cm)
• 鹿 (1968,　114.7×145.0 cm)
• 醍醐 (1972,　135.5×115.8 cm)
• 閑日 (1974,　73.0×100.0 cm)
• 吉野 (1977,　108.6×184.4 cm)
• 富士宮の富士 (1982,　76.1×115.1 cm)
• 蠣 (1984,　102.0×131.0 cm)
• 寅 (1985,　16.2×49.5 cm)

Books and collections of work

• スケッチそのをりをり (collection of sketches, 1917)
• 牛のあゆみ (autobiography, 1974)

Major collections holding works by Okumura

• Okumura Togyu Memorial Museum (Nagano prefecture)
• Yamatane Museum

See also

• Kaii Higashiyama
• Seison Maeda

References

• Japanese arts, what & where? Tatsuo Takayama - 1987