Yamashita Shintaro

Place: Arakawa

Born: 1881

Death: 1966

Biography:

Yamashita Shintarō (山下新太郎) (29 August 1881 – 11 April 1966) was a Japanese yōga painter. He was born in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan, and died in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. He studied under Fujishima Takeji and Kuroda Seiki at Tokyo School of Fine Arts, graduating in 1904. After learning French at the Tokyo School of Foreign Languages, in 1905 he travelled via America to France, where he studied with Raphaël Collin and Fernand Cormon and at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1907 he visited Spain, copying The Surrender of Breda by Velázquez, before returning to Paris via Granada and Seville. In 1908 'By the Window' was exhibited at the Salon; Reading and After Reading appearing the following year. In 1909 he travelled through Switzerland and Italy, visiting Milan, Venice, Florence, and Naples, Menton and Marseille. After returning to Paris, he painted Woman at her Shoes. The following summer he returned via the Suez Canal to Japan. Shortly after returning he married. Later that year he exhibited for the first time at the Bunten, contributing Reading, After Reading, and Woman at her Shoes, winning third prize with Reading. He repeated the feat the following year with By the Window, which was acquired by the Ministry of Education. Yamashita Shintarō is known for his Western-style painting and was affected by Renoir, introducing the Impressionism to Japan. He painted many brilliant works with a focus on women and their daily lives.