Kitagami Seigyū (1891–1970) 
Evening at Byakugōji Temple 
Japan, late 1910s 
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk 
Gift of Terry Welch, 2021 (2021-03-054)

VIEW HI-RES IMAGE
 
Seigyū’s focus on sunset light is remarkable even within the bold experimentation of the 1910s and is reminiscent of contemporaneous currents in European art. Byakugōji is a quiet temple in Nara, which as the ancient capital of Japan in the 8th century is home to many of Japan’s earliest and most important Buddhist temples. Established in the 10th century, Byakugōji’s current buildings are mostly from the Edo period (1615–1868). The white-plastered walls provide a perfect ground for the warm red blush of sunset, contrasted with the cool blue of the tiled roofs. This creates a harmonious composition in which the real subject is not the temple, but rather the way in which the light touches its surfaces. 
 
Originally from Hokkaido, Seigyū moved to Kyoto where he became a student of Takeuchi Seihō (see Kiyomizu Temple in Autumn and Monkey in Plum Blossoms). Under Seihō’s influence, he was best known for his paintings in the bird and flower genre (kachōga) and was successful in the annual national exhibition. At the same time, Evening at Byakugōji Temple reveals him to be an innovative landscape artist.