Tsuchida Bakusen (1887–1936) was a painter born on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture who brought a fresh sensibility to modern Japanese painting. He studied under Takeuchi Seihō in Kyoto and later founded the National Painting Creation Association alongside Ono Chikkyō and Sakakibara Shihō. Whilst cherishing the traditions of Japanese painting, he also took an interest in the composition and colour schemes of Western painting, rendering figures, flowers and birds in neat and luminous compositions. He was an artist who did not merely preserve the classics, but continued to seek, through his own sensibility, a form of Japanese painting suited to the times.

When viewing Bakusen’s works, one notices that whilst form and colour are neatly organised, a gentle warmth remains within the composition. His figures exude refinement, whilst his flowers and birds possess a calm vitality. It seems that the appeal of Tsuchida Bakusen lies in his ability to naturally blend tradition and innovation, rather than forcing them into opposition. Within these tranquil compositions, one can certainly sense a determination to drive modern Japanese painting forward.