Togyū Okumura

Togyū Okumura (奥村 土牛) 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.

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