下村観山

Shimomura went to Tokyo in 1881 to study painting and became a pupil of Kano Hogai and Hashimoto Gaho. One of the first students to enter the Tokyo Fine Arts School, founded in 1889, Shimomura joined its staff upon graduation, only to leave the school when the principal and famous art critic, Okakura Kakuzo, was ousted. Shimomura then joined the Japan Fine Arts Academy established by Okakura and Hashimoto. He was known for his mastery of traditional Japanese and Chinese painting and for his keen sense of colouring. Among his representative works are “Ohara Goko” (1908; “The Emperor's Visit to Ohara”) and “Yoroboshi” (1915; “The Beggar Monk”).