Gyokudo Art Museum
Works by painter Kawai Gyokudo (1873–1957) are displayed at the Gyokudo Art Museum, which opened in 1961. Gyokudo is regarded as a leader among modern painters of the Nihonga style. The extensive museum collection ranges from his earliest nature studies dating from when he was only 15, to some of the last pieces he worked on at the end of his life. The artist moved to Ome in 1944, and lived next to a section of rapids on the Tama River.
The museum has a collection of more than 300 works, including detailed studies of animals and flowers. Gyokudo was a master of the Nihonga style, using traditional Japanese painting techniques with a modern approach to themes and subject matter. His landscapes often included people going about their daily work, adding a sense of scale and narrative to the scenery. The works at the museum are rotated to match the seasons.
A replica of Gyokudo’s studio in the museum includes a partially completed work on a large easel. The studio is filled with the brushes, pots of paint, mixing dishes, and other paraphernalia of a professional artist.
The studio looks out across a well-tended karesansui (dry landscape) garden, which is composed of boulders from the river beyond the garden. A large Japanese maple tree shades the corner near the studio. The garden has been recognized as one of the best examples of karesansui design in Tokyo.