カテゴリー: 日本近代洋画

安井曽太郎
薔薇
1931（昭和6）年　油彩･カンヴァス　60.5×48.8cm

Sotaro Yasui
Roses
1931 (Showa 6), Oil on canvas, 60.5 × 48.8 cm

白い花瓶に生けられた薔薇が力強く描かれています。この白い花瓶は関東大震災の直後、妻の実家の焼け跡から見つかったと言われています。安井は本作について、｢白色がきれいだった。その時分僕は白色を好んだ。しぜんその時代の作品に白色調のものが多く、この絵もその一つであった」と述べています。

The roses arranged in a white vase are powerfully depicted. It is said that this white vase was found in the ruins of his wife's family home shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake. Yasui commented on this work, "The white color was beautiful. At that time, I liked white. Naturally, many of my works from that period have a white tone, and this painting is one of them."

安井曽太郎
銀化せる鯛
1953（昭和28）年　油彩･カンヴァス　65.0×54.0cm

Sotaro Yasui
Silverized Sea Bream
1953 (Showa 28), Oil on canvas, 65.0 × 54.0 cm

銀色の鯛が真上から堂々とした構図でとらえられています。安井はお正月に知人からもらったこの新鮮な鯛を、別の角度から鮮やかな色彩で描いています。その後、再びこの鯛を描き始めた安井は、5月までアトリエに置き続けました。はじめ赤々としていた鯛は、腐敗してすっかり｢干物｣になっていたといいます。安井はそのときのことを次のように述べています。｢（略）油繪で鯛ははじめてだつたので、仲々豫定通りに進行せず、一日一日とのびて行き、とうとう一月以上かゝり、モデルは干物になつてしまつた。干物になつた鯛は亦美しかつた。立派な銀の彫刻の樣にも見えた｣。安井は描き終わった鯛を｢何んだか可哀想の樣な氣がし｣、家族とともにお皿ごと山の中に埋葬したといいます。

The silver sea bream is captured in a majestic composition from directly above. Yasui painted this fresh sea bream, which he received from a friend during the New Year, with vivid colors from a different angle. Later, Yasui began painting the sea bream again and kept it in his studio until May. The sea bream, which was initially bright red, had decayed and completely turned into a "dried fish." Yasui described the experience as follows: "Since it was my first time painting a sea bream in oil, it didn't progress as planned, and day by day, it took longer and longer, eventually taking over a month, and the model turned into a dried fish. The dried sea bream was also beautiful. It looked like a magnificent silver sculpture." Yasui felt "somehow sorry" for the sea bream after finishing the painting and buried it in the mountains with his family, plate and all.

 

安井曽太郎
緑の風景
1955（昭和30）年　油彩･カンヴァス　32.0×40.0cm

Sotaro Yasui
Green Landscape
1955 (Showa 30), Oil on canvas, 32.0 × 40.0 cm

1949（昭和24）年春、安井曽太郎は神奈川県湯河原町に移り住み、庭先に見える城山を繰り返し描きました。安井はこの風景を青年時代のフランス留学で多大な感銘を受けたセザンヌを重ね見たようです。安井自身、次のように述べています。｢湯河原の新畫室からは、僕の好きな山がすこしばかり見える。その山の形は、ブリジストン美術館にあるセザンヌのサント･ビクトワール山に一寸似ている。仲々いい山である｣（『文藝春秋』昭和30年6月號、1955年）。

晩年の安井は、自らが魅了された城山を幾つも描きました。本作は緑美しい季節に描かれた作品です。大胆な色面と太い輪郭線など｢安井様式｣とも呼ばれる自らのスタイルによって、その風景がシンプルに力強く描き出されています。

In the spring of 1949, Sotaro Yasui moved to Yugawara Town in Kanagawa Prefecture and repeatedly painted Shiroyama, which he could see from his garden. Yasui seemed to see in this landscape a reflection of the great impression of Cézanne is he got during his youth in France. Yasui himself remarked, "From my new studio in Yugawara, I can see a bit of my favorite mountain. The shape of this mountain slightly resembles Cézanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire, which is in the Bridgestone Museum. It's quite a nice mountain" (Bungeishunju, June 1955 issue).

In his later years, Yasui painted many works of Shiroyama, which had captivated him. This piece was painted during the season when the greenery was beautiful. The landscape is depicted simply and powerfully through Yasui's own style, known as the "Yasui style," characterized by bold color fields and thick contour lines.

 

安井曽太郎
秋の城山（下絵）
1955（昭和30）年　色鉛筆･紙（パネル張り）25.3×35.4cm

Sotaro Yasui
Shiroyama in Autumn (Sketch)
1955 (Showa 30), Colored pencil on paper (mounted on panel), 25.3 × 35.4 cm

湯河原の自宅兼アトリエから城山を望む《緑の風景》を描いた同年12月初め、安井は風邪をこじらせ気管支性肺炎を患いました。しかし、自らが会長を務める日本美術家連盟の｢年末たすけあい展｣に出品するため、体調不良を押して《秋の城山》（1955年、京都国立近代美術館蔵）の制作にあたります。それがたたって数日後の12月14日には帰らぬ人となりました。山々が黄に色づいた《秋の城山（下絵）》（1955年）は、絶筆制作の際に手掛けられたものと考えられます。

In early December of the same year he painted "Green Landscape" from his home and studio in Yugawara, Yasui caught a cold that developed into bronchial pneumonia. Despite his poor health, he pushed himself to create "Shiroyama in Autumn" (1955, Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art) to exhibit at the "Year-End Mutual Aid Exhibition" of the Japan Federation of Art, where he served as president. This effort took a toll on him, and he passed away a few days later on December 14. "Shiroyama in Autumn (Sketch)" (1955), with its yellow-tinted mountains, is believed to have been created during his final work.

須田国太郎
高貴寺遠望
1933-34（昭和8-9）年頃　油彩･カンヴァス　41.0×53.0cm

Kunitaro Suda
Distant View of Koki-ji Temple Around
1933-34 (Showa 8-9), Oil on canvas, 41.0 × 53.0 cm

1925（大正14）年から8年間、講師として和歌山高等商業学校に通勤した須田国太郎は、その車窓からしばしば葛城山の山並みを眺めていました。須田はその山並みにスペイン風景を重ね見たのかもしれません。｢南山城山河内の木津川より伊製は一寸西班牙のカスチリヤの山中を思わせるものがある｣と日記に記しています。特に葛城山は後年まで多く描かれ、1933（昭和8）年頃には数多く描かれています。山並みはカンヴァスの矩形にあわせるようにデフォルメされ、平坦な構図にされることで、かえって深い色調による奥行を生み出そうとするかのようです。

From 1925 for eight years, Kunitaro Suda commuted as a lecturer to Wakayama Higher Commercial School, often gazing at the mountain range of Mount Katsuragi from the train window. Suda might have seen a resemblance to the Spanish landscape in those mountains. He noted in his diary, "From the Kizu River in Minami-Yamashiro and Kawachi, it somewhat reminds me of the mountains of Castile in Spain." Mount Katsuragi, in particular, was frequently depicted by Suda, especially around 1933. The mountain range is deformed to fit the rectangular canvas and flattened in composition, which paradoxically seems to create depth through the use of deep tones.

須田国太郎
烈日下の鳳凰堂（平等院）
1936（昭和11）年　油彩･カンヴァス　52.0×64.0cm

Kunitaro Suda
Phoenix Hall (Byodo-in) Under the Scorching Sun
1936 (Showa 11), Oil on canvas, 52.0 × 64.0 cm

ある暑い夏の日、須田は京都の雷雨を避けて、宇治へ制作に出かけました。本作はそのときの取材にもとづく作品です。平等院鳳凰堂の中堂が南側廊下のやや高所、現在の六角堂辺りから描かれています。鳳凰堂は夏の烈しい日に晒され、屋根や地面が白く輝くことで、かえって暗い堂内の涼やかな空気との対比が浮かび上がってくるかのようです。

On a hot summer day, Suda went to Uji to work, avoiding the thunderstorms in Kyoto. This piece is based on the research conducted during that time. The central hall of Byodoin Phoenix Hall is depicted from a slightly elevated position on the southern corridor, around the current Rokkakudo area. The Phoenix Hall is exposed to the intense summer sun, making the roof and ground shine white, which in turn highlights the contrast with the cool air inside the dark hall.

須田国太郎
鳥と花
1942（昭和17）年頃　油彩･カンヴァス　37.0×45.0cm

Kunitaro Suda
Bird and Flower
Around 1942 (Showa 17) Oil on canvas 37.0 × 45.0 cm

須田は、｢果たして自己の表現様式を油絵に求めなければならないだけの必然性をもったか｣と常に問いながら油彩画の制作を行なっていました。西洋の古典芸術への探求を深く進めつつも、東洋の芸術を意識した須田の制作は、結果として東洋と西洋の枠を脱した独自の絵画を実現させたといえます。

本作では薄く溶いた油絵具を塗り重ねるヴェネツィア派のような深い諧調をたたえた描写により、重厚ながら透明感のある色彩を放っていいます。また、遠近法を捨て去った東洋的な奥行との組み合わせが、須田独特の花鳥画の世界を作り上げています。

Suda constantly questioned himself, asking, "Is there truly a necessity to seek my mode of expression in oil painting?" as he worked on his oil paintings. While delving deeply into the study of Western classical art, he remained conscious of Eastern art. As a result, his work transcended the boundaries of both East and West, achieving a unique style of painting.

In this piece, the depiction features deep gradations reminiscent of the Venetian school, achieved by layering thinly diluted oil paints, resulting in colors that are both rich and transparent. Additionally, the combination with Eastern-style depth, which abandons perspective, creates Suda's distinctive world of bird-and-flower painting.

須田国太郎
八幡平（焼山）
1954（昭和29）年　油彩･カンヴァス　80.0×65.0cm

Kunitaro Suda
Hachimantai (Yakeyama)
1954 (Showa 29) Oil on canvas 80.0 × 65.0 cm

1954（昭和29）年7月、須田は全日本観光連盟の依頼を受けて、岩手･秋田県にまたがる八幡平へ足を運びました。須田は盛岡から電車、バスを乗り継ぎ登山、雪渓を渡り八幡平に辿り着きます。当初は｢どうもこの辺より八幡平を代表する場所なき如し 頗る平凡ながら着手する｣（7月16日付日記）と記しています。しかし、翌々日に峠に出て、焼山を見渡す風景を目の当たりにするとその眺めに魅了されます。｢毛せん峠に出る 実に美わしい 両側の山並は美事也（略）しゃくなげの白花さきみだれる 焼山にかかる｣（7月18日付日記）。その後、京都に戻った須田は、祇園祭にも行かず再びこの作品に取り組みました。深い緑の中に白いシャクナゲが咲き誇り、遠くには雲の湧く焼山があらわれる本作は、東北の緑深い夏山の偉容を見事にあらわしています。

In July 1954, Suda, at the request of the All Japan Tourism Federation, traveled to Hachimantai, which spans Iwate and Akita prefectures. Suda took a train and bus from Morioka, hiked, and crossed snowfields to reach Hachimantai. Initially, he wrote in his diary on July 16th, "It seems there is no place here that represents Hachimantai. It is rather ordinary, but I will start." However, two days later, when he reached the pass and saw the view overlooking Yakeyama, he was captivated by the scenery. "I reached Kesen Pass. It is truly beautiful. The mountain ranges on both sides are magnificent... White rhododendrons are in full bloom, covering Yakeyama" (July 18th diary entry). After returning to Kyoto, Suda worked on this piece again, even skipping the Gion Festival. This work, with white rhododendrons blooming in the deep green and Yakeyama appearing in the distance with clouds rising, beautifully captures the grandeur of the lush summer mountains of Tohoku.