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Ernest Fenollosa and Philadelphia |
Ernest Fenollosa (1853 - 1908) introduced the wonders of Japanese traditional art to America and the world over one hundred years ago, and is known as "the father of Japanese art." Over one hundred works of Japanese art which he treasured are in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
At age 23, Fenollosa came to see the International Centennial Exposition, held in Philadelphia to commemorate America's independence. There were many Japanese works of art displayed here, and it was Fenollosa's first contact with the marvels of Japanese culture. This was in 1879. That is to say, Philadelphia was the original starting point of Fenollosa's study of Japanese art. Two years later Fenollosa went to Japan with his wife Lizzie. As one of the so-called "o-yatoi," or foreigners invited to work in Japan by the Japanese government, Fenollosa was responsible for teaching philosophy at Tokyo University. While in Japan he became captivated by the beauty of Japanese art, which had been neglected after hte Meiji Restoration in Japan. Together with Kakuzo Okakura (also known as Tenshin), Fenollosa strove to bring about a renaissance and enrichment of Japanese art. One could say that Fenellosa rediscovered traditional Japanese art. Okakura, a student of Fenollosa's at Tokyo University, became the leader of the movement to create a new Japanese painting style (Nihonga), which was rooted in tradition.
In 1941 and again in 1957, Ernest's daughter Brenda Fenollosa Biddle, married to the well-known Philadelphia businessman Moncure Biddle, donated some one hundred Japanese works of art "In Memory of her father, Ernest Fenollosa" to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Included among these donated works are such masterpieces as Pheasant on a Snowy Branch and Two Dragons in Clouds by the famous artist Hogai Kano, whom Fenollosa had supported, as well as two paintings by Gaho Hashimoto, Bishamonten Pursuing an Oni and The Intercession of Kannon. Also included were personal items that Fenollosa used in his daily life in Japan, such as hibachi, and costumes. (Fenollosa had become a Buddhist, so there are also Buddhist vestments.)
In 1978, Owen Biddle, eldest son of Brenda Fenollosa Biddle, donated about forty pieces from the collection of his grandmother Lizzie Fenollosa to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, forming an important part of the museum's Japanese holdings.
Interested in learning more about Ernest Fenollosa's contributions to Philadelphia's unique relationship with Japan? Phila-Nipponica: An Historic Guide to Philadelphia & Japan, a bi-lingual collection of articles on the Japan-Philly connection published by the JASGP, is available for purchase in our online store!
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