Lot 2058: Miyake Katsumi (Kokki, 1874-1954)

Beppu Watercolor, with mat; signed lower left K. Miyake. and titled Beppu 13 x 17 5/8in (33.2 x 44.5cm)

33.2 x 44.5cm

The town of Beppu is known for its hot spring baths. In this work by Kokki, two women bathe their feet in a warm stream running through the hot springs. Kokki was a Western-style painter, born in Tokushima. He traveled and studied in the United States and for a period at the Yale University Art School in New Haven, CT. He strongly encouraged Hiroshi Yoshida and five of his artist friends to travel to the United States. Soon after their arrival they enjoyed a successful selling exhibition at the Boston Art Club. On December 2nd 1900 The Boston Sunday Globe featured a lengthy article on the group of painters with photos of Yoshida, Kanakoji, Mitsutani, Nakagawa, Kawai, and Maruyama, headlined "Japanese Art in Boston". It began "Six young men from the Orient to Exhibit their works at the Boston Art Club. Miyake Katsumi, a friend of these artists encouraged them to make the trip to the United States after he had matriculated at the Yale University Art School in New Haven. The sales they made selling their watercolors at exhibitions here in the U.S. helped them to continue traveling to and in the U.S. and Europe where they were expanding their abilities to paint in the western style."