Fukuda Heihachirō (1892–1974)
Sweetfish
Color on paper, framed
With a box signed by the artist
Seal: Hei
33.5 x 45 cm
38.5 x 50 cm (overall)
With a box signed by the artist
Seal: Hei
33.5 x 45 cm
38.5 x 50 cm (overall)
Further images
Literature
Fukuda Heihachiro. Tokyo: Nihon Keizai Shimbun, 1976.
Many books have been written about Fukuda Heihachiro. In 1976, not long after his death in March 1974, the book Fukuda Heihachiro was published by Nihon Keizai Shimbun. A labor of love by Fukuda’s family and other related parties, this tome features 602 works, mainly black and white illustrations but also several color photographs of his most famous works, and it became an indispensable book for anyone wishing to research Fukuda. It also showcases over 50 of his sweetfish paintings, including Sweetfish, Young Sweetfish, Swimming Sweetfish, and Shoal.
One renowned early-period example is 1935’s Sweetfish, a work featuring a wave pattern resembling a school of swimming eels. Fukuda recounted how he had just started fishing at this time, with Sweetfish subsequently leaving the strongest impression on him after Ripples (Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka). “As well as the waves, I was also captivated by magnificent litheness of these creatures,” he explained, “I didn’t focus so much on the individual parts of the fish because I was enamored instead by their simple streamlined shapes and I excitedly set about painting them. There are many waves too, but these seem to be supporting the movements of the fish.” This shows how Fukuda’s principal objective was to capture the beautiful forms of the fish. Fukuda also spoke about Sweetfish, a work he submitted to the 5th Saiko-kai Exhibition 17 years later. “This was another catch from a fishing trip. As I was looking down at the riverbed from a bridge, I was drawn to the rocks sitting beneath the cool, clear water. I wanted to draw a bird’s-eye view of these rocks. In other words, I wanted to create a subjective work based on their interesting shapes and the way they combined together. The picture only featured rocks at first, but I somehow ended up adding sweetfish to the composition. I felt dissatisfied though—the fish seemed too realistic and I couldn’t make them as simple as the rocks. I think this work would be more interesting if the fish were portrayed as simply as the rocks.” This comment reveals how Fukuda’s focus was shifting from naturalism to decorativeness. From this time on, he simplified his portrayals of all manner of subjects, from sweetfish, flowers and bamboo to fruits like peaches, persimmons and apples, vegetables like eggplants, and even a single autumn leaf. He combined this simplicity with a vividly-hued decorativeness to create his own unique world.
As a work from around 1967, this painting also features in the aforementioned book. When we compare this work to 1935’s Sweetfish, we can observe how Fukuda’s style changed and evolved. One anecdote recounts how in 1932, when he was 26, Fukuda was nearing the end of his studies at the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting and had to create a graduation work. At this time, he discussed the matter with the school’s future head Nakai Sotaro and was told “you can face nature head on and paint subjectively like Tsuchida Bakusen (1887–1936) or objectively like Sakakibara Shiho (1887–1971), but perhaps it would be best for you to observe nature objectively,” with Fukuda subsequently using these words like a compass to guide him. Perhaps this painting represents one of Fukuda’s answers to the question of subjectivity and objectivity in Japanese painting.
Fukuda Heihachiro (nihonga painter; 1892–1974)
Nihonga painter from Oita Prefecture. Fukuda graduated from the Kyoto City School of Arts and Crafts and continued his studies at Kyoto Municipal School of Painting. His early works rely on a naturalist approach with a bold sense of color. He would later move towards lighter tones, which together with his strong sense of composition garnered him a central position in the art world. Together with Nakamura Gakuryo, Makino Torao and others he co-founded the Rikucho-kai art association. A member of the Japan Art Academy, Fukuda also served as an adviser to the Nitten exhibition and a professor at the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting. Designated a honoray citizen of Oita, Person of Cultural Merit, and receiver of the Order of Culture.
One renowned early-period example is 1935’s Sweetfish, a work featuring a wave pattern resembling a school of swimming eels. Fukuda recounted how he had just started fishing at this time, with Sweetfish subsequently leaving the strongest impression on him after Ripples (Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka). “As well as the waves, I was also captivated by magnificent litheness of these creatures,” he explained, “I didn’t focus so much on the individual parts of the fish because I was enamored instead by their simple streamlined shapes and I excitedly set about painting them. There are many waves too, but these seem to be supporting the movements of the fish.” This shows how Fukuda’s principal objective was to capture the beautiful forms of the fish. Fukuda also spoke about Sweetfish, a work he submitted to the 5th Saiko-kai Exhibition 17 years later. “This was another catch from a fishing trip. As I was looking down at the riverbed from a bridge, I was drawn to the rocks sitting beneath the cool, clear water. I wanted to draw a bird’s-eye view of these rocks. In other words, I wanted to create a subjective work based on their interesting shapes and the way they combined together. The picture only featured rocks at first, but I somehow ended up adding sweetfish to the composition. I felt dissatisfied though—the fish seemed too realistic and I couldn’t make them as simple as the rocks. I think this work would be more interesting if the fish were portrayed as simply as the rocks.” This comment reveals how Fukuda’s focus was shifting from naturalism to decorativeness. From this time on, he simplified his portrayals of all manner of subjects, from sweetfish, flowers and bamboo to fruits like peaches, persimmons and apples, vegetables like eggplants, and even a single autumn leaf. He combined this simplicity with a vividly-hued decorativeness to create his own unique world.
As a work from around 1967, this painting also features in the aforementioned book. When we compare this work to 1935’s Sweetfish, we can observe how Fukuda’s style changed and evolved. One anecdote recounts how in 1932, when he was 26, Fukuda was nearing the end of his studies at the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting and had to create a graduation work. At this time, he discussed the matter with the school’s future head Nakai Sotaro and was told “you can face nature head on and paint subjectively like Tsuchida Bakusen (1887–1936) or objectively like Sakakibara Shiho (1887–1971), but perhaps it would be best for you to observe nature objectively,” with Fukuda subsequently using these words like a compass to guide him. Perhaps this painting represents one of Fukuda’s answers to the question of subjectivity and objectivity in Japanese painting.
Fukuda Heihachiro (nihonga painter; 1892–1974)
Nihonga painter from Oita Prefecture. Fukuda graduated from the Kyoto City School of Arts and Crafts and continued his studies at Kyoto Municipal School of Painting. His early works rely on a naturalist approach with a bold sense of color. He would later move towards lighter tones, which together with his strong sense of composition garnered him a central position in the art world. Together with Nakamura Gakuryo, Makino Torao and others he co-founded the Rikucho-kai art association. A member of the Japan Art Academy, Fukuda also served as an adviser to the Nitten exhibition and a professor at the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting. Designated a honoray citizen of Oita, Person of Cultural Merit, and receiver of the Order of Culture.