Kamei Shiichi

Kamei Shiichi ( Japanese 亀井至一 ; born 1843 in Edo ; died 1905 ) was a Japanese painter and lithographer of the Meiji period .

life and work

Kamei Shiichi was born in Edo (today's Tokyo) in 1847. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 he began training under Yokoyama Matsusaburō (横山松三郎; 1838-1884), a photographer who also worked as a painter and lithographer. In 1875 he went to Matsuda Rokusan (松田緑山; 1837-1903), who had opened a lithography workshop called Gengendō (玄々堂).

In 1876 Kamei produced the "Kankozusetsu" (観古図説), an illustrated book with early photographs. In 1877 he presented an oil painting with the title "Ueno Otamiya Niō-mon to" (上野御霊屋仁王門 „) -" Niō gate to the Ueno burial place "at the 1st exhibition for industrial promotion (Daiikkai naikoku kangyō hakurankai), for the he received recognition. At the 2nd exhibition in 1881 he exhibited the oil painting "Nikkō Tōshōgū Yōmeimon no Shinkei" (日光東照宮陽明門の真景) - "True representation of the Yōmei gate of Nikkō Tōshōgu". In 1883 he designed lithographs for Yano Ryūkei's (矢野龍渓; 1850–1931) story “Zaibu meishi Keikoku bidan” (斉武名士経国美談). In 1889 Kamei took part in the preparatory meeting for the establishment of the "Meiji bijutsu kai" (明治美術会) and became a member of the exhibition committee.

For the tenth anniversary of the association in 1898, he exhibited seven oil paintings. When the "Meiji bijutsu kai" broke up in 1901, he joined the newly founded "Taiheiyō gakai" (太平洋画会) and exhibited at their first exhibition. - Kamei is remembered above all for his lithographs, some of which he published as “one-sheet prints” (額絵, Gaku-e).