Visit the Ohara Museum of Art in Kurashiki — Japan’s Oldest Western Art Museum

One of the most iconic works in the Ohara Museum of Art is The Annunciation by El Greco.

This subject comes from a scene in the New Testament, where the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary to announce that she will give birth to Christ. It was a popular theme in European religious art from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. A famous example is The Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus by Simone Martini, housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

In contrast to Martini’s version, El Greco’s Annunciation is far more dramatic. The figures are elongated and dynamic, and the space has an almost otherworldly feel. These stylistic traits are typical of Mannerism, an art movement that followed the High Renaissance.

Though El Greco was active in Italy and Spain in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, his style fell out of favor for centuries. It wasn’t until the 20th century, with the rise of Expressionism and a renewed interest in Mannerism, that El Greco’s genius was rediscovered. Kojima Torajirō acquired The Annunciation during this period of renewed attention.

How The Annunciation Came to Japan

In 1922, during his third trip to Europe, Kojima discovered The Annunciation for sale at a gallery in France. He was traveling with the full support of Ohara Magosaburō, with the goal of building a new museum collection. Kojima immediately sent a letter along with a photograph of the painting, asking Ohara to fund the purchase.

The price at the time was an astonishing 150,000 francs (roughly 200 to 300 million yen in today’s currency). Despite the financial instability following World War I, Ohara agreed without hesitation. This decision reflects both Kojima’s discerning eye and Ohara’s trust in him—as well as their shared vision of bringing great Western art to Japan.

Today, there are only two El Greco paintings in Japan: The Annunciation at the Ohara Museum and Christ on the Cross at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo.

The Purchase and Its Deeper Meaning

In Japan during the early 20th century, most Western art being introduced was Impressionist or Post-Impressionist. Many young artists simply imitated what was trendy in Europe. Kojima once criticized this, saying, “When Van Gogh is in fashion, everyone talks about Van Gogh. When Tagore is in fashion, everyone talks about Tagore.” He worried that Japanese artists lacked their own voices and principles.

By adding a 16th-century religious painting like The Annunciation to a collection otherwise centered on modern art, Kojima may have been trying to show that Western art is more than just surface styles—it has deep historical and spiritual roots. He wanted young artists in Japan to develop their own artistic perspectives rather than chasing fleeting trends.

Giovanni Segantini was an Italian painter best known for his radiant Alpine landscapes. Midday in the Alps is one of his most iconic works—and like El Greco’s Annunciation, it was acquired by Kojima Torajirō during his third trip to Europe. Upon purchasing the painting, Kojima noted, “Segantini’s painting was worth the struggle. It was a good acquisition.”

Who Was Segantini?

Giovanni Segantini (1858–1899) was born in the Trentino region of Italy, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. He lost his citizenship as a child and lived his entire life as a stateless person. Despite this, he gained recognition as a young artist, winning a gold medal at the Amsterdam World’s Fair and exhibiting alongside Cezanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh at the 1890 Brussels exhibition.

Behind these achievements, however, his personal life was often unstable. In 1886, due to financial difficulties, he moved with his family to the mountainous region of Graubünden in Switzerland. He lived there until 1894, and Midday in the Alps was painted during this period.

Style and Technique

Segantini used a technique similar to the Impressionists called Divisionism, where small strokes of color are placed side by side to create vibrant light effects. But unlike French pointillism (as seen in the work of Georges Seurat), Segantini applied fine linear brushstrokes, layering color in a way that preserved both brightness and clarity.

His landscapes have crisp contours and clear distant views, likely inspired by the transparent light and thin air of the Alpine climate. The style gives his works a sense of purity and stillness rarely found in more atmospheric Impressionist paintings.

This method, along with Segantini’s expressive precision, places him among Italy’s leading Divisionist painters, a movement that evolved independently from French Impressionism.

What Makes This Painting Special?

Divisionism is not widely known in Japan, but it offers a compelling alternative to the Impressionist view of nature and light. Segantini’s Midday in the Alps stands out for its intricate detail and serene atmosphere. The painting captures the crisp air and radiant light of the mountains with incredible realism.

When visiting the Ohara Museum, be sure to pause in front of this masterpiece. Take a moment to appreciate its quiet elegance and the artist’s unique vision of the Alpine world.

Claude Monet, a founding figure of the Impressionist movement, spent the last decades of his life in the village of Giverny, northwest of Paris. There, he created a beautiful garden beside his home, famously known as the “Water Garden.” It became the main subject of his most iconic late works—the Water Lilies series.

This particular painting, created in 1906, belongs to the second phase of the Water Lilies series. Unlike the earlier works that often featured structural elements like the Japanese bridge, this version focuses entirely on the pond’s surface. Floating water lilies and gently rippling reflections fill the canvas with serene beauty.

Although the title refers to water lilies, Monet was especially fascinated by the reflections—how the sky, trees, and light constantly shifted depending on the time of day and weather. In this painting, you can see blue sky mirrored in the upper part of the canvas and even catch a glimpse of the water’s depth below. It feels as though your gaze is floating gently across the water’s surface.

Interestingly, Monet rarely sold his paintings outside of his contracted galleries. But this one became an exception. Kojima Torajirō, the artist and collector behind the Ohara Museum’s founding, reportedly gifted Monet a peony plant from Japan and personally persuaded him—resulting in the acquisition of this masterpiece.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter and printmaker best known for capturing the nightlife of Paris during the Belle Époque—a vibrant period of culture and entertainment at the end of the 19th century.

While his colorful posters are widely recognized in Japan and abroad, Lautrec also created many exceptional oil paintings, including this one, Madame Marthe X – Bordeaux. It was painted during his final days in the Bordeaux region of France.

Unlike his lively poster scenes with bold outlines and exaggerated movement, this work presents a quiet, intimate moment. The woman sits calmly with a book in hand, her gaze drifting into space. Lautrec’s expert drawing skills reveal her personality and inner world with subtlety and care.

The painting also showcases delicate lighting and nuanced color harmonies that are unique to oil painting—details not often seen in his graphic works. This piece is considered one of Lautrec’s late masterpieces, reflecting his quieter, more introspective side as an artist.

Maurice Denis was a leading French artist of the Nabi movement—a group of painters who followed the Impressionists but took a very different approach. While the Impressionists focused on capturing natural light and fleeting moments, the Nabis emphasized decorative color, flat shapes, and strong composition.

The Wave was painted on the coast of Perros-Guirec in Brittany and shows women enjoying a day at the beach. Like the Impressionists, Denis chose an outdoor setting, but his focus wasn’t on natural lighting. Instead, he used bold color contrasts—pink rocks against blue sea—and stylized figures that give the scene a mythic or spiritual feel.

At the time, many artists were moving toward abstraction, influenced by Fauvism and Expressionism. Denis, however, looked back to classical ideas of structure and meaning. His work blended modern styles with timeless themes, offering a unique bridge between past and present.

This painting was purchased in 1920 during Kojima Torajirō’s second study trip to Europe. He met Denis in person and bought the work directly from the artist. Kojima later noted in his journal that Denis’s studio had “almost no paintings,” suggesting this piece may have held special significance for Denis himself.

Henri Le Sidaner was a French painter known for his quiet, atmospheric scenes, often associated with a style called “Intimism.” He gained recognition for his mysterious twilight landscapes that evoke peace and solitude.

Small Table at Dusk is a perfect example of his work. It shows a quiet alley along the Loing Canal in Nemours, France. The scene captures the moment just after sunset—a challenging time of day for artists—but Le Sidaner handles it beautifully with soft, cool tones. A single warm light glowing from a house adds a sense of life and contrast, drawing the viewer in.

Le Sidaner’s dreamy style was influenced by the Neo-Impressionists. He used a pointillist technique to create gentle shifts in color and light. But what makes his art truly poetic is what he leaves out: people. Instead of showing figures, he hints at human presence through empty chairs, half-set tables, or glowing windows. These subtle details invite viewers to imagine a story—one that might just be beginning.

“Watermill in the Village” is one of Kojima’s early masterpieces, painted while he was still a student at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. It was exhibited at the National Industrial Exhibition, an important art and industry fair of the time.

To create this painting, Kojima returned to his hometown of Nariwa in Okayama Prefecture. The setting is a small village watermill, where a mother, her child, and a young girl take a quiet break. Compared to his later Western-influenced works—like A Belgian Girl in Kimono—this piece shows a very different style.

Before studying abroad, Kojima focused on capturing the quiet beauty of everyday Japanese life. One example is Going to School (1906), also housed in the Nariwa Museum of Art. These early works often highlight warm natural light and a gentle view of rural life.

When this painting was created, Japan was in a deep recession after the Russo-Japanese War. The mother in the painting wears simple clothing and nurses her baby between chores. This moment of modest strength and dignity may reflect Kojima’s deep respect for the resilience of ordinary people.

This painting, Girl in a Kimono (Little Neighbor), is a continuation of Kojima’s earlier work, Girl in a Kimono, created the previous year. Based on her appearance and expression, the model is believed to be the same young girl as in the earlier piece.

Soft pink tones gently cover the entire canvas, highlighting the innocence of the girl seated on the sofa. The floral patterns on her kimono and the subtle hues of the background harmonize beautifully, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. Compared to the 1911 version, this work feels more refined and poetic.

Like the earlier painting, this piece was also exhibited at the 1912 Salon National in Paris, where it was successfully accepted.