The Beauty of Silence - Tsukioka Kogyo

The presentation The Beauty of Silence – Japanese prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo links up with a series of 'art on paper' exhibitions in the Bonnefantenmuseum, and revolves around the work of one of the great Japanese print artists of the turn of the last century, Tsukioka Kōgyo. Kōgyo became well-known for his popular depictions of the typically Japanese Noh theatre, which underwent a real revival at the end of the 19th century. He also depicted animals and landscapes. His technique in creating coloured woodcuts is so refined that it is indistinguishable from painting.

The Historical Context

The year of Tsugioka Kōgyo's birth, 1869, coincided with great political and economic upheaval in Japan. From 1603 to 1868, the 'Shoguns' had held sway over a feudal power system, controlling all the distinguished families in Japan. Though the emperor was still the official ruler, he was in effect a hostage as well.

The emperor's power was restored in 1868, at the start of the Meiji period, named after the first 'modern' emperor of Japan. Emperor Meiji differed from the Shoguns in his interest in the West, including Western art. He also ushered in the industrial revolution in Japan, which had already spread from England and Belgium to Europe and the United States years before. Furthermore, he promoted a central government, with Tokyo as its economic and political centre, and gradually opened the borders of the closed-off and introspective country. However, this modernisation of Japan also went hand in hand with the rise of a strong nostalgia for the country's own past and for oriental values.

Nō Theatre

One of these oriental values, the classical and subdued Nō theatre, had thrived for centuries under Shogun rule and initially looked like becoming a victim of the modernisations. It recovered, however, by successfully convincing a new audience of its silent beauty. Nō theatre dates from the 15th century as has build enormous prestige throughout the years in Japan, Europe and the United States. The Nō theatre is a theatrical form which was always abandoned from any historical place or date. It's a more autonomous theatre form in which spiritual elements are very important. Not only on stage, but also on printed paper Nō theatre was and is an enormous succes. The prints from Kōgyo give a lot of information about the plays (often showing an important scene from the story), as well as the situations backstage. There are also prints of the singers and musicians, props and masks, and the construction of the stage itself. They are a gold mine not just for lovers of this old theatre form, but also for print collectors, as all the prints in this series are particularly well printed on the highest quality paper. Kōgyo also created series of prints of other subjects, including some wonderful prints of nature and birds.

The Exhibition

The presentation is been shown on the thrid floor of the museum and presents 70 works of Tsugioka Kōgyo, of which 50 will be prints, 4 men high rollpaintings and illustrative objects. There is a visitor's booklet available.

In collaboration with the Japan Museum SieboldHuis, Leiden, The Netherlands

The Beauty of Silence
Japanese prints by Tsukioka Kogyo