Maruyama Banka

Japanese, 1867 - 1942

BiographyMaruyama Banka (丸山晩霞, 1867–1942) was a watercolor painter active in the Meiji era through the Shōwa era. Born in Netsu Village, Chiisagata District, Shinano Province (currently Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture). His real name was Kensaku. He exhibited at the Meiji Fine Arts Society exhibition. In 1895, he met Yoshida Hiroshi and was impressed by the artist’s watercolor paintings. In 1898, he and Yoshida went to the Hida area on a "Japanese Alps sketching trip." In 1899, he became friends with Miyake Katsumi. From Miyake's recommendation, he went to the United States in 1900. "Six Japanese Watercolor Painters Exhibition" was held at the Boston Art Club with Kanoko Takeshirō, Mitsutani Kunishiro, Kawai Shinzō, and Yoshida Hiroshi and Nakagawa Hachiro. With great success, he also held a six-person exhibition at Providence, Washington, D.C. He returned to Japan in 1901 following a tour of Europe, Singapore, and Hong Kong with Kagogi, Mitsuya, and Kawai.
In 1902, he joined the Meiji Fine Arts Society and founded the Pacific Painting Society. He established the Japan Watercolor Painting Institute with Oshita Tojiro and others in 1907. He exhibited his work at the 1907 Bunten. In 1908, he became a member of the Japanese Alpine Club. From 1911 through 1912 he visited Europe. In 1913, he founded the Japan Watercolor Painting Association and became a council member. As watercolor painting became popular among the common people, he visited various parts of Japan to conduct seminars. In 1923, he traveled to China, Southeast Asia, and India to help the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake. He participated in the founding of the Japanese Alpine Club in 1936. He continued to exhibit at the Pacific Painting Association, the Japan Watercolor Painting Association and the Japanese Alpine Club every year. He died in 1942.
Maruyama Banka's style of painting can be categorized into an early period, in which he was influenced by Yoshida Hiroshi吉田博and Miyake Katsumi 三宅克己, a middle period after his trip to Europe in 1911, and his late years after the 1920s.

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