Visit of the Fenollosa Family to the Atelier

Ernest Fenollosa (1853–1908) is widely recognized as a key figure who helped elevate the international appreciation of Japanese art. After arriving in Japan in the early Meiji period, he developed a deep fascination with the unique sensibility of Japanese aesthetics at a time when rapid Westernization was taking place. His dedicated efforts in the research, preservation, and advocacy of Japanese art had an enduring impact.
During his time in Japan, he played an instrumental role in establishing the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, the predecessor of today’s Tokyo University of the Arts. After returning to the United States, he served as the Curator of Asian Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, tirelessly introducing the beauty of Japanese art to Western audiences.
Thanks to his passion and achievements, we continue to encounter many outstanding works of Japanese art today.

This month, members of his family—descendants of Ernest Fenollosa—visited Japan and toured several places closely connected to him.

As part of their journey tracing Fenollosa’s footsteps, which included visits to Tokyo University of the Arts and Miidera Temple, where his remains are enshrined, the family also visited Setsuo Kano’s atelier.

The family expressed deep interest in how the spirit of Japanese art that so captivated Ernest throughout his life continues to be reinterpreted and carried forward in contemporary form through Kano’s work.
Although brief, the visit became a meaningful moment of exchange—one that linked the past and present of Japanese art through Kano’s creations.