MORI Ōgai and the Imperial Museum — The First Seminar Held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems
MORI Ōgai (1862–1922) is widely known as a literary giant who produced masterpieces such as “The Dancing Girl,” “Sanshō Dayu,” and “Takasebune.” While he achieved great success as a novelist, he also rose to the highest ranks as an Army surgeon. However, it may be less well known that he served as Director-General of the Imperial Household Museum (now the National Museum) for the final four years of his life.
At the Seminar held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems on April 24, Mr. TARASHIMA Satoshi—who had worked for many years at the Tokyo National Museum and is currently a visiting researcher at our institute—gave a presentation titled “The Management of the Imperial Household Museum and Director MORI Ōgai during the Taisho Period: Focusing on Exhibitions and ‘Internationalization.’” Mr. MORI assumed the position of Director-General of the Imperial Household Museum in December 1917. At that time, the museum was derided as an outdated “luxury storage shed,” and its management was criticized for “deep-rooted problems.” Expected to breathe new life into the institution, MORI attempted to reform exhibitions and internationalize the museum. While exploring exhibition methods that would visualize the customs of various eras, he devoted himself to organizing the “Ten Great Buddhist Paintings” exhibition, which brought together masterpieces of Heian-period Buddhist painting under one roof. He also accepted a donation of copperplate engravings by the British painter Frank Brangwin and hosted visits from Western art historians such as Oswald Schieren and Langdon Warner. In Mr. TARASHIMA’s presentation, MORI’s activities at the Imperial Household Museum were revealed through magazine articles and the diaries and memoirs of those involved, prompting a reevaluation of the conventional image of MORI Ōgai.