Kuroda Seiki

Kuroda Seiki was a Japanese Painter known for being a leading figure of the Yōga movement—the blending of western painting style with Japanese artistry. Seiki initially set out to pursue a career in law, and had moved to Paris to do so. While in Paris, however, Seiki met Yamamoto Hōsui, an accomplished painter at the time, who convinced him to become an artist. Because of his unorthodox blending of styles, Seiki’s work was controversial in his home country at first, especially when he exhibited a female nude painting in Japan. Over time, however, and after his pupils began to paint in his style, Kuroda gained popularity in Japan, as well as the rest of the world.