[The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto] Exhibition: 'Fontanesi—Italian Light, Landscape of the Heart'

Do you know the painter Antonio Fontanesi?

Some may not know him at all. Those interested in art might answer, "He was a foreign advisor who taught Western painting in the Meiji era." Those well-versed in Western-style painting in Japan might recall him as the teacher of Chu Asai and Shotaro Koyama, or think of his friendship with Yuichi Takahashi. These reactions indicate, first of all, that Fontanesi's name is not sufficiently known. Even for those who do know him, their image of him is heavily focused on his role as a foreign advisor.

A soldier who fought in the Italian War of Independence under the hero Garibaldi. A lithographer who skillfully depicted the urban landscape of Geneva. A modern painter who presented works at the Paris Salon and studied Millet and Corot there. A traveler who absorbed Turner and Constable while creating prints during his stay in London. A veteran trusted by young painters in Florence. A landscape painter walking country roads in the south of France with friends. An educator beloved by his students in both Turin and Tokyo. These are all sides of one person: Antonio Fontanesi.

While tackling the same subject repeatedly, his attitude toward painting the ideal landscape, his sincere gaze at urban busyness and rural labor, and above all, his greedy interest in light and nature—if you look closely at his works, you can see Fontanesi, who taught his students, "Let the motif sing loudly!" For those who don't know Fontanesi at all, and even for those who have heard his name, something new awaits. The journey of landscape painting begins now.

Exhibition Highlights

1. The first major retrospective in Japan of Antonio Fontanesi, a master of modern Italian landscape painting.
Featuring approximately 200 works including oil paintings from his early years to his late life, and prints produced while staying in Switzerland and England, the exhibition reveals Fontanesi’s charm beyond his role as a foreign advisor.

2. Gathering works of the master and his students, 150 years after Fontanesi's arrival in Japan.
In addition to works arriving from Italy, this is a precious opportunity to see Fontanesi's works from domestic collections, along with works by his students such as Chu Asai and Shotaro Koyama.

3. Verifying Fontanesi's progressive nature, which influenced 20th-century Italian artists.
An ambitious project that examines Fontanesi's legacy for future painters such as Carlo Carrà and Felice Casorati.

Chapter Composition
Chapter 1: Landscape as 'Painting' (1850-1860)
Chapter 2: Landscapes Reflecting the Heart (1855-1875)
Chapter 3: Urban Landscapes (1854-1880)
Chapter 4: Daily Work and Nature (1860-1875)
Chapter 5: Painting a Moment of Light (1867-1880)
Chapter 6: Production and Education in Japan (1876-1878)
Chapter 7: Works of His Later Years (1878-1881)
Chapter 8: Fontanesi's Legacy (1872-1928)

Exhibition Outline
Title: 'Fontanesi—Italian Light, Landscape of the Heart'
Dates: July 18 (Sat) – October 4 (Sun), 2026
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (Okazaki Enshoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto)
Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (open until 8:00 PM on Fridays)