Hashimoto Kansetsu

Kansetsu Hashimoto (1883-1945) was born in Kobe in 1883. His father, Hashimoto Kaikan, was a Confucian scholar, admirer of the Chinese — and he drew pictures and painted screens in the Chinese spirit. But of the son he taught — when he was five years old, his parents divorced and the son stayed with his mother and grandmother. However, this did not prevent mother to teach him Chinese styles of calligraphy (she was famous for this art), and the grandmother cradled Canseco Chinese lullaby.

In twelve years the boy was taken from secondary school and was sent to study painting in Japanese style, half-forgotten now artist, Kataoka Coco. So on the first big picture thirteen Canseco was a picture of Shizuka, sweetheart and companion of Minamoto Yoshitsune. Heroic women will appear in his work.
Hashimoto Kansetsu undertook to revive the Japanese tradition of painting in the Chinese manner, "Nang" — just in the spirit of "new ones" carefully linking China with the borrowing of Western (European) painting.
However, in the first half of the twenties of Hashimoto Kansetsu quarreled and broke with his mentor — he announced that Takeuchi Seiho: was "too European" and the Japanese spirit (not to mention the Chinese) is retreated in the works SAHO: before the Western influences. Too visible, too noticeable Koro! Takeuchi Seiho: a little offended, but still spoke of Canseco as one of his best students.

And then came the embarrassment. The fact that he is Canseco got to Europe again, then another — and was immediately fascinated in the local museums not only the European (especially van Gogh and Gauguin), but still on top, and Persian painting.
In the 1930-ies Hashimoto Kansetsu again changed his style now he decided to compete with his mentor Takeuchi Seiho: "in its field": his depictions of animals. And I must say, these work Kansatsu viewers love the most.
Sometimes Canseco competed directly: depicting the same animals, his teacher, and in a similar style.
But very quickly it was discovered that he has his favorites. First and foremost is a monkey — they have Kansatsu countless and all different and expressive.
Animals brought the artist much more fame (and more money) than "Chinese stories". And Takeuchi Seiho: said he Hashimoto Kansetsu, of course, is not jealous, but very proud of them. She even admitted that with monkeys Canseco he walked...

When the war started, the demand for animals has fallen, and propaganda increased. Hashimoto Kansetsu refused orders for "Patriotic themes", but battle pictures to draw not wanted. Chose the theme "the great East Asian sphere of co-prosperity" (大東亞共榮圏 grant: a Ke:acan); implied — under the patronage of the Japanese, but the Japanese-he continues to represent avoided.

However, Hashimoto Kansetsu was a young man ambitious and at the first opportunity, at the beginning of the new century, moved on to a new teacher — already well-known Takeuti SAHO:. He loved him, began to promote, in the twenty-five Canseco has been exhibited at the prestigious exhibition "Banten". The first success has brought enough money to Canseco finally, in 1913, for the first time to go to China, of which so much is heard from the cradle. In the first, but not in the past — during his life he visited China whether thirty times, or fifty, or even more: biographers do not agree with each other. He joked that so often crosses the sea, that "the whole smelt China"...