| WITH
THE OVERWHELMING FLOOD OF WESTERN culture pouring into Japan, it became
very difficult to maintain a pure Edo art form. Two artist, though, do stand
out; Gyosai and Zeshin. Zeshin was best known as a lacquerer but his paintings
were also notable. Many Meiji artists who had trained in the Edo Tradition
had gained great skill, but could not sell their work to a populace which
wanted things western. Many refrained from converting to a western style,
but instead, began to reproduce the great Edo artists. |