Changes

*''Died: 1942/8/23''

*''Died: 1942/8/23''

*''Other Names'': 竹内恒吉 ''(Takeuchi Tsunekichi)''

*''Other Names'': 竹内恒吉 ''(Takeuchi Tsunekichi)''

*''Japanese'': 竹内栖鳳 ''(Takeuchi Seihou)''

*''Japanese'': [[竹内]] 栖鳳 ''(Takeuchi Seihou)''

Takeuchi Seihô was a prominent Kyoto [[Nihonga]] painter, perhaps most famous for his monochrome ink landscapes incorporating the realism of Western oil painting; however, Seihô was a prolific artist with a varied oeuvre, including not only ink landscapes with Western realism, but also full-color ''[[bijinga]]'' in a neo-''[[ukiyo-e]]'' mode, ceramics, bronze sculpture, paintings on ''[[kimono]]'', among other modes and subjects.

Takeuchi Seihô was a prominent Kyoto [[Nihonga]] painter, perhaps most famous for his monochrome ink landscapes incorporating the realism of Western oil painting; however, Seihô was a prolific artist with a varied oeuvre, including not only ink landscapes with Western realism, but also full-color ''[[bijinga]]'' in a neo-''[[ukiyo-e]]'' mode, ceramics, bronze sculpture, paintings on ''[[kimono]]'', among other modes and subjects.

Through Bairei, Seihô first began to move in Kyoto's more elite artistic circles, meeting many of the most prominent professional painters in the city. Only two years after beginning to teach Seihô, Bairei in [[1883]] assigned him to help those students who were having difficulty, and shortly afterwards secured a position for Seihô to teach formally at the [[Kyoto Prefecture Painting School]] which Bairei helped establish in [[1880]]. Bairei also helped Seihô get his work shown at formal exhibitions, but at first it did not attract much attention; Bairei also took Seihô along with him on various high-end commissions, including one when Bairei produced records of a [[Higashi Honganji]] abbot's journeys in the [[Hokuriku region]].

Through Bairei, Seihô first began to move in Kyoto's more elite artistic circles, meeting many of the most prominent professional painters in the city. Only two years after beginning to teach Seihô, Bairei in [[1883]] assigned him to help those students who were having difficulty, and shortly afterwards secured a position for Seihô to teach formally at the [[Kyoto Prefecture Painting School]] which Bairei helped establish in [[1880]]. Bairei also helped Seihô get his work shown at formal exhibitions, but at first it did not attract much attention; Bairei also took Seihô along with him on various high-end commissions, including one when Bairei produced records of a [[Higashi Honganji]] abbot's journeys in the [[Hokuriku region]].

As was apparently not uncommon for people of a certain class or wealth in the Meiji period, Seihô, when he was young, had his "adolescent sexual needs met"<ref>Conant. p86.</ref> by a young woman who worked for the family as a maid. She bore him two children - a daughter named Tei in 1882, and a son named Kamejirô in 1888. It was common in such situations for the maid to be given some sizable sum of money or gifts, and sent off to the countryside (or just elsewhere) with her children. However, Seihô's two children were adopted by other members of the family, and so they, and their mother, Kiuchi Koma, remained at the Kameya. Kamejirô would later study painting under his father, and show in the [[Bunten]] under the art-name Meihô.

As was apparently not uncommon for people of a certain class or wealth in the Meiji period, Seihô, when he was young, had his "adolescent sexual needs met"<ref>Conant. p86.</ref> by a young woman who worked for the family as a maid. She bore him two children - a daughter named Tei in 1882, and a son named Kamejirô in 1888. It was common in such situations for the maid to be given some sizable sum of money or gifts, and sent off to the countryside (or just elsewhere) with her children. However, Seihô's two children were adopted by other members of the family, and so they, and their mother, Kiuchi Koma, remained at the Kameya. Kamejirô would later study painting under his father (Seihô), and show in the [[Bunten]] under the art-name Meihô.

Seihô married Takayama Nami, the daughter of Takayama Ihei, a Nishijin textile merchant, in August [[1887]], and moved into a house across the street from his father's restaurant, which his father paid to have built. On this occasion, Bairei declared Seihô no longer a student, and now an independent painter in his own right. Embarking on his own, Seihô began acquiring patrons not only from among local Kyoto merchants, but also among those from the nearby provinces, who traveled into Kyoto regularly to settle accounts; one of his more major contacts came about through his wife, Nami, who was close friends with the wife of [[Iida Tojiro|Iida Tôjirô]], who headed [[Takashimaya]]'s studio for artists. Seihô produced numerous designs for Takashimaya tapestries and other high-end textiles, including some which were produced on commission from the Imperial Household; Seihô showed in Takashimaya's seasonal Nihonga exhibitions every spring and autumn, as well as for numerous special events as well. Later, his students were able to show work at Takashimaya's  

Seihô married Takayama Nami, the daughter of Takayama Ihei, a Nishijin textile merchant, in August [[1887]], and moved into a house across the street from his father's restaurant, which his father paid to have built. On this occasion, Bairei declared Seihô no longer a student, and now an independent painter in his own right. Embarking on his own, Seihô began acquiring patrons not only from among local Kyoto merchants, but also among those from the nearby provinces, who traveled into Kyoto regularly to settle accounts; one of his more major contacts came about through his wife, Nami, who was close friends with the wife of [[Iida Tojiro|Iida Tôjirô]], who headed [[Takashimaya]]'s studio for artists. Seihô produced numerous designs for Takashimaya tapestries and other high-end textiles, including some which were produced on commission from the Imperial Household; Seihô showed in Takashimaya's seasonal Nihonga exhibitions every spring and autumn, as well as for numerous special events as well. Later, his students were able to show work at Takashimaya's  

Seihô had seven children with his wife, Nami, of which three daughters died before the age of two. They, along with his students, lived together in the home which also served as his private studio, and his students were expected to contribute to the housework. This was a fairly standard arrangement, as was Seihô's active involvement in socializing with patrons and other friends out on the town, especially in the [[geisha]] districts. Yet, Seihô became especially known for his indiscretions. When one of his students, Mutobe Sadae (b. 1879), became pregnant, her father, the head of Mukô Shrine near [[Saga, Kyoto]], is said to have been outraged, to have accused Seihô of violating the master/student relationship, and to have demanded that Seihô deal with the consequences. This meant taking Sadae in. Sadae, who had taken the art-name Kihô, was given a separate home nearby. Her relationship with Seihô, despite the presence of his wife Nami, continued for more than thirty years after that; her relatively quiet home provided for Seihô a nice alternative from his own busy studio space. She adopted the first child she had by Seihô, pretending it was not his, in order to protect him; they had five more sons, who she had adopted by various friends or acquaintances of Seihô's. Their one daughter was born in [[1912]], but died at the age of five.

Seihô had seven children with his wife, Nami, of which three daughters died before the age of two. They, along with his students, lived together in the home which also served as his private studio, and his students were expected to contribute to the housework. This was a fairly standard arrangement, as was Seihô's active involvement in socializing with patrons and other friends out on the town, especially in the [[geisha]] districts. Yet, Seihô became especially known for his indiscretions. When one of his students, Mutobe Sadae (b. 1879), became pregnant, her father, the head of Mukô Shrine near [[Saga, Kyoto]], is said to have been outraged, to have accused Seihô of violating the master/student relationship, and to have demanded that Seihô deal with the consequences. This meant taking Sadae in. Sadae, who had taken the art-name Kihô, was given a separate home nearby. Her relationship with Seihô, despite the presence of his wife Nami, continued for more than thirty years after that; her relatively quiet home provided for Seihô a nice alternative from his own busy studio space. She adopted the first child she had by Seihô, pretending it was not his, in order to protect him; they had five more sons, who she had adopted by various friends or acquaintances of Seihô's. Their one daughter was born in [[1912]], but died at the age of five.

Seihô made his first and only trip to Europe in [[1900]]-[[1901]]. While there, he tried his hand at [[yoga|oil painting]], and developed a fondness in particular for the works of JMW Turner and Barbizon school painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.

 

Seihô made his first and only trip to Europe in [[1900]]-[[1901]], in conjunction with the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Exposition Universelle]] in Paris. While there, he tried his hand at [[yoga|oil painting]], and developed a fondness in particular for the works of JMW Turner and Barbizon school painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. He is known to have visited the zoo at Antwerp, later producing realistic paintings of lions, among other animals, and to have seen a number of works by Rubens, among other artists, at European churches.<ref>Gallery label, "Dead Crane," Metropolitan Museum of Art.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15182652241/sizes/l]</ref>

After his return, he focused for a time on the production of ''[[byobu|byôbu]]'' (folding screen) paintings aimed at commercial sale, in order to help fund the purchase of instructional materials for his teaching practice. Continuing his relationship with Takashimaya, and active involvement in Kyoto's art world, he produced designs for two textile pieces which ended up winning Takashimaya first prize at the [[1903]] [[Fifth Domestic Exposition]] in [[Osaka]]. These were an embroidered wall hanging depiction a lion, and a design of Mt. Fuji which accompanied works by [[Tsuji Kako|Tsuji Kakô]] and [[Yamamoto Shunkyo|Yamamoto Shunkyô]] depicting, respectively, a scene in Switzerland, and Niagara Falls, as a "views of scenes around the world" triptych. The three artists were later commissioned by Takashimaya to produce another triptych on the same theme; this one included one of Seihô's most famous works, "Moon over Venice," depicting the Grand Canal in Venice in a style reminiscent of JMW Turner, but employing traditional Japanese ink painting media. The ''yûzen'' pieces based on these designs were shown at the [[Japan-British Exhibition]] in London in [[1910]].

After his return, he focused for a time on the production of ''[[byobu|byôbu]]'' (folding screen) paintings aimed at commercial sale, in order to help fund the purchase of instructional materials for his teaching practice. Continuing his relationship with Takashimaya, and active involvement in Kyoto's art world, he produced designs for two textile pieces which ended up winning Takashimaya first prize at the [[1903]] [[Fifth Domestic Exposition]] in [[Osaka]]. These were an embroidered wall hanging depiction a lion, and a design of Mt. Fuji which accompanied works by [[Tsuji Kako|Tsuji Kakô]] and [[Yamamoto Shunkyo|Yamamoto Shunkyô]] depicting, respectively, a scene in Switzerland, and Niagara Falls, as a "views of scenes around the world" triptych. The three artists were later commissioned by Takashimaya to produce another triptych on the same theme; this one included one of Seihô's most famous works, "Moon over Venice," depicting the Grand Canal in Venice in a style reminiscent of JMW Turner, but employing traditional Japanese ink painting media. The ''yûzen'' pieces based on these designs were shown at the [[Japan-British Exhibition]] in London in [[1910]].