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In [[1884]], he journeyed to Paris with the intention of studying law and pursuing a career in that field. He spent his first year in France studying French, and was admitted to law school in [[1887]]. During that intervening time, however, he ran into a number of other Japanese, including Paris-based art dealer [[Hayashi Tadamasa]] and painter [[Yamamoto Hosui|Yamamoto Hôsui]], who recognized in Kuroda a talent for painting. An occasion in which Kuroda visited the atelier of Raphael Collin while serving as interpreter for [[Fuji Masazo|Fuji Masazô]] is said to have played a significant role in his decision to pursue becoming an artist himself. After Fuji and Yamamoto's recommending Kuroda to Collin, Seiki began studying under the artist, an Academic painter who had recently become quite popular for his ''plein-air'' works in a more impressionistic style. In addition to receiving training in the basics of proper (highly realistic) Academic-style oil painting, Seiki was also encouraged to experiment with ''plein-air'' painting, and with impressionistic styles.

In [[1884]], he journeyed to Paris with the intention of studying law and pursuing a career in that field. He spent his first year in France studying French, and was admitted to law school in [[1887]]. During that intervening time, however, he ran into a number of other Japanese, including Paris-based art dealer [[Hayashi Tadamasa]] and painter [[Yamamoto Hosui|Yamamoto Hôsui]], who recognized in Kuroda a talent for painting. An occasion in which Kuroda visited the atelier of Raphael Collin while serving as interpreter for [[Fuji Masazo|Fuji Masazô]] is said to have played a significant role in his decision to pursue becoming an artist himself. After Fuji and Yamamoto's recommending Kuroda to Collin, Seiki began studying under the artist, an Academic painter who had recently become quite popular for his ''plein-air'' works in a more impressionistic style. In addition to receiving training in the basics of proper (highly realistic) Academic-style oil painting, Seiki was also encouraged to experiment with ''plein-air'' painting, and with impressionistic styles.

One of his works was accepted by a Salon in [[1891]], and two years later, his painting ''Morning Toilette'' was shown at ''the'' Salon, the Salon des Beaux-Arts. ''Morning Toilette'' would cause quite a scandal when shown in Tokyo shortly afterwards, being one of the first full nudes (in the highly realistic Western style & oil painting medium) ever displayed in a Japanese art exhibition.

One of his works was accepted by a Salon in [[1891]], and two years later, his painting ''Morning Toilette'' was shown at ''the'' Salon, the Salon des Beaux-Arts, in Paris. ''Morning Toilette'' would cause quite a scandal when shown in Tokyo following his return to Japan in [[1893]], being one of the first full nudes (in the highly realistic Western style & oil painting medium) ever displayed in a Japanese art exhibition.

He was named head of the Western Painting section at the [[Tokyo School of Fine Arts]] in [[1896]],<ref>Takashina Shûji, "Eastern and Western Dynamics in the Development of Western-style Oil Painting during the Meiji Era," ''Paris in Japan: The Japanese Encounter with European Painting'', Washington University (1987), 21.</ref> and remained a prominent presence in the Japanese art world for the remainder of his life, coming to be known as "the Grand Old Man of Western painting in Japan" prior to his death in 1924.<ref>Conrad Schirokauer, David Lurie, and Suzanne Gay, ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 206. </ref>

He was named head of the Western Painting section at the [[Tokyo School of Fine Arts]] in [[1896]],<ref>Takashina Shûji, "Eastern and Western Dynamics in the Development of Western-style Oil Painting during the Meiji Era," ''Paris in Japan: The Japanese Encounter with European Painting'', Washington University (1987), 21.</ref> and the same year co-founded the [[Hakubakai]] ("White Horse Society") group of painters, alongside [[Kume Keiichiro|Kume Keiichirô]].

 

remained a prominent presence in the Japanese art world for the remainder of his life, coming to be known as "the Grand Old Man of Western painting in Japan" prior to his death in 1924.<ref>Conrad Schirokauer, David Lurie, and Suzanne Gay, ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 206. </ref>

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