近代日本の「美術」と「美術史」

Abstract

Japanese Modern Art began its formation in 1872 with the introduction of the concept and terminology for "fine art" into the Japanese language. This had two aspects: one aspect reacted to the appearance in the West of Japonisme and a trend for Japanese style, by which Japan attempted to increase the national wealth through the exports of fine arts; in its other aspect, the elevated Western art genres of painting and sculpture were transplanted into Japan and assumed the symbolic role of representing the ideology of a modern nation state. In policy terms, the former was taken up by the policy of shokusan kogyo (encouraging industry), while the latter was given over to art education (for contemporary art) and historical preservation (a move towards the development of "art history"). The result is that the West and Japan developed two different conceptions of Japanese aesthetics. However around 1910, with the rise of Japanese nationalism, earlier arts policies that centered on the West were refocused towards Japan and the Asia region (though these disappeared after World War II).