Yamazaki Chun

Sketch for the sculpture "Oh, how cold!"

Yamazaki Chōun ( Japanese 山崎 朝雲 , actually Yamazaki Harukichi (山崎 春 吉); born February 17, 1867 in Hakata (now part of Fukuoka ); died June 4, 1954 ) was a Japanese sculptor of the Meiji , Taishō and early Shōwa Time .

life and work

Yamazaki Chōun was taught in Hakata by Takada Matashirō (高田 又 四郎), the last carver of traditional Buddhist figures. In 1895 he received an award at the "Domestic Exhibition to Promote the Economy" (内 国 勧 業 博 覧 会, Naikoku Kangyō Hakurankai) in Kyoto. It was Takamura Koun noticed him and brought him to Tōkyō, where he was his student. He quickly won prizes at the exhibitions of the Tōkyō Chōkokuka Kyōkai (東京 彫刻家 協会) and the Nihon Bijutsu Kyōkai (日本 美術 協会) and other places. In 1900 he was represented at the Paris World Exhibition and received a silver medal. In 1907 he founded the Nihon Chōkoku Kyōkai (日本 彫刻 協会) with others.

Yamazaki also attracted attention at the exhibitions of the Ministry of Culture, initially briefly " Bunten ", then " Teiten ", with his romantic sculptures with historical and mythological themes and with their slightly "western", sometimes also academic designs. In 1927 he became a member of the Academy of Arts , in 1934 an artist at court (帝室 技 芸 員, Teishitsu Gigeiin) and in 1952 was honored as a " person with special cultural merits ".

Yamazaki's representative works include “Ōbako” (大 葉子) from 1908 and “Takaogami” (龗), 1911. - One of his students is Satō Chōzan (1888–1963).

literature

• Tazawa, Yutaka: Yamazaki Chōun . In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art. Kodansha International, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .
• Laurance P. Roberts: Yamazaki Chōun . In: A Dictionary of Japanese Artists. Weatherhill, 1976. ISBN 0-8348-0113-2 .

Web links (images)

The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art houses:

• Illustration: Obako
• Illustration: Takaogami

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus, Yamazaki is the family name, Chōun the first name.