Ogata Gekkō was a self taught artist of the Meiji period who worked in Japanese-style paintings and book illustrations, but is best known for his work in ukiyo-e. prints. He was the first Japanese artist to receive international prizes for his work.
He was born Nakagami Masanosuke in the Kobayashi district of Edo, and lived most of his life in that district. His father was a rich tradesman who ran a temporary employment agency for the use of the nobility, and rich merchants; he was also licensed to dispose of Edo's garbage. He was orphaned at the age of sixteen; his family lost their businesses, and they had to open a lantern shop.
He survived by designing rickshaws, and selling his drawings. However, he never attended art school, nor did he undergo the traditional apprenticeship to another artist. Gekkō began his art career by preparing flyers and distributing them to various publishers, to sell his services as an illustrator for magazines and newspapers, and as a designer of lacquerware and pottery.
Before long, his innate artistic talent was recognized; his rickshaws were shown at the Interior Exhibition of Industrial Design as examples of fine contemporary craftsmanship. He was soon recognized by important figures in the art world, including the artist Kawanabe Kyosai, who is often credited with 'discovering' Gekkō. Ogata Koya, the head of the famous Ogata family (direct descendants of one of Japan's most celebrated artists, Ogata Korin). adopted him; to their family name he appended a name he gave himself, Gekkō, meaning 'Moonlight'.
His career underwent a major advance in 1885, when he exhibited a painting in the first exhibition of Kanga Kai (the Japanese art association; the founders, the influential art scholars, Ernest F. Fenollosa - who was a key player in bringing all the arts of Japan to prominence in the West - and Okakura Tenshin would become regular visitors to Gekkō's home). He later won numerous prizes at other Japanese national competitions, such as the 1893 2nd Annual and 1894 3rd Annual Art Kyoshin Kai, and the 1896 1st Annual and 1897 2nd Annual Japanese Art Association Competitive Exhibitions. In 1898, he received the ultimate accolade available to an artist in Japan, when the Emperor Meiji purchased his painting 'Soga Yato'.
He would later become a founding member and developer of several important art institutions, including Nihon Bijutsu Kyôkaï, Nihon Seinen Kaïga Kyôkaï (the Japan Youth Painting Association), the Academy of Japanese Art, the Bunten (the Ministry of Education's annual juried exhibition), and an actively participating member of the Nihon Bijitsuin and the Meiji Fine Art Association,
He was also the first Japanese artist in any medium to receive significant official international recognition, most significantly the Gold Prize at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis for his woodblock print designs. He also won prizes at international competitions in Chicago (1893 Columbus Exhibition), Paris (the 1900 Paris Exposition), and London (the 1910 Japan-British Exhibition).
His work, like that of his great contemporary Yoshitoshi, was clearly influence by Western realism, while at the same time remaining fully rooted in the indigenous Japanese artistic tradition. The subjects of his prints range widely, from scenes from everyday life, though scenes from legend and art, to nature prints, and finally to the violence of war (such as in prints produced after being a war correspondent during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-5).
He continued to defy convention and take risks late in his career, including exhibiting in juried exhibitions when other established artists would not take the risk of competing for prizes against younger artists. He also took a different direction artistically as well, mostly avoiding many of the gaudy trends that were exploited by many otherprint artists of the Meiji Period, such as the heavy use of bright red and purple dyes.
Although he had not had a teacher himself, he had a number of significant pupils during a 30 year teaching career, including his son Ogata Getsuzan, Yamamura Toyonari, Kanamori Nanko, and especially Tsukioka Kôgyo (1869 - 1927).
Gekkō's work has not been held in high regard among woodblock print
collectors. This status may change, though; among other factors, the death of
the noted ukiyo-e collector, Robert Muller has resulted in the bequeathing
and dissemination of his collection. Muller was a great admirer and collector
of not only Gekkō's prints, but also his paintings (a combination of
Ukiyo, Shijo, and Nihonga styles with early influences by Tani Buncho and
Kikuchi Yosai). This may help with a re-appraisal of Gekkoō's true
stature as an artist.
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