On January 30, Kanazawa University Library held the "Zenken Kojitsu Symposium: Kikuchi Yosai and his disciple, Suzuki Kason" as part of the FY2025 University Library "Discover the Treasure! Project", was held with 18 participants from inside and outside the university.
This symposium focused on "Zenken kojitsu," the bible of historical portraits by Yosai Kikuchi, a painter active from the Edo to Meiji periods, and Kason Suzuki, a Japanese-style painter who was a pupil of Yosai and also associated with Ishikawa Prefecture. Two experts gave lectures and exchanged opinions on the influence of these works on the art of the Meiji period.
Ms. Manami Nakamura, Curator at the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of History Senior Staff, gave a lecture titled "Suzuki Kanason and Hokuriku. She explained the realism and unique emotionality of his painting style, which was influenced by Western-style paintings, as well as the footprints of Kanon, who gained popularity overseas through the World Expositions and other events, and was loved in Ishikawa Prefecture as well.
Professor Masaaki Omura Faculty of Education Institute of Human and Social Sciences Kanazawa University gave a lecture titled "Kikuchi Yosai and 'Zenken kojitsu'". In addition to Kikuchi Yosai's roots and life, he introduced the contents of the first edition of "Zenken kojitsu" in the collection of Kanazawa University Library and its influence on later generations of painters.
During the Q&A session, participants asked questions about the background of "Zenken kojitsu," providing a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the appeal of this highly sophisticated woodblock-printed work.
*For details of the symposium, click here
*For details on the "Discover the Treasure! Project" support program, click here
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Chief Curator Manami Nakamura, Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of History (left) and Professor Masaaki Omura, Kanazawa University (right) -
A page of a portrait of Prince Umayado (Prince Shotoku) from "Zenken kojitsu" (published in 1868) in the collection University Library (collection of the former Fourth Higher School)
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