The History of Reception of the Michelangelesque idea of Art History in the Modern Age of Japan

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In the novels of Soseki Natume(1867-1916), who could read the books by W.Pater and A.Symonds, we can find the dantesque and michelangelesque Inferno. In 1901, Yasuji Otuka, Professor of Tokyo Imperial Univesity and Soseki's friend, lectured on the humorous criticisms concerning the nude paintings, telling about Biaglo who hypocritically had blamed the nudes in Michelangelo's "Last Judgment"in Sistine Chapel as reported in the story told by Vasari in 1568. In 1906, Soseki' s novel, I Am A Cat(1905-1906), criticised bitterly Seiki Kuroda's "wisdom, Impression, Sentlment"(1899) and woman Nude" (1901) for these Tainesque and Spartan ideas. Syoichi Toyama, Kuroda's patron and president of Tokyo Imperial University, also told about the heroic idea in 1890, comparing Takamori Saigou to Mlchlangelo or his "David". Painter Yuichi Takahshi not only confessed to be ardent admirer of Saigo, but also painted the mythical hero. "Prince Yamato Takeru, in the michelangelesque tragic gesture as the symbol of Nationality of Japan and as the metapher of Saigo. The "Bronze Statue of Saigo" made after the wooden model by Koun Tak.amua, Professor of the Tokyo Art School, and located on the hill of Ueno Garden in 1888, reminds us the bronze replica of Michelangelo's "David", which had been located in 1874 in the Piazza di Michelangelo on the south hill of Florence as if it were a symbol of new-born Royal Italy. This demonstrates that Okakura, the first president of the Tokyo Art School, accepted the art theory of Michelangelo, because he had visited Italy in 1887. In 1889, therefore, he could compare Hogai Kano's "Maternal Avaloke- itesvara"to Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam". In conclusion, we can find the great intelligences in Okakua, Yuichi and Soseki to to have striven to understand the art theory of Michelangelo.