Fudeya Tōkan
Japanese, 1875 - 1950
Person TypeIndividual
BiographyFudeya Tōkan (筆谷等観, 1875–1950), a Nihonga painter from Hokkaido, was one of the original members of the Chūō Painting Group (Chūō gadan 中央画壇). After studying painting under Yokoyama Taikan (横山 大観, 1868–1958) at the Kyoritsu Art Academy in Hongo, he entered the Tokyo Academy of Fine Arts. While studying there, he entered the Futabakai 二葉会, a private painting school led by Hashimoto Gaho 橋本雅邦. He exhibited at the Inten (known then as the Reformed Japan Visual Arts Academy Exhibition再興院展) from its first exhibition. At the third exhibition, he gained attention with his painting "Peasant’s Lantern" 「貧者の一燈」(Hinja no ittō) exhibited at the third exhibition and was selected as a member of the academy. Early in his career, he produced landscape paintings and portraits of Buddhist and Daoist characters 道釈画in the Kanō style promoted by Gaho. In the Taisho era, however, he began to try bold coloring methods and compositions that were strongly influenced by Taikan. Together with Ōchi Shōkan (大智勝観, 1882–1958) and Tsunashima Seikan (綱島静観, 1876–1963), he was known as one of Yokoyama Taikan's “Three Crows" 三羽烏.