Dividing his massive empire between his sons, Genghis Khan's grand legacy to the eldest was all the land from the Aral Sea westward "as far as the hooves of Mongol horses have reached."

Under Genghis Khan's leadership, the tribes of the Central Asian steppes almost conquered the world. Their empire, at its height, stretched from Beijing in the east to the Black Sea in the west. Today the Republic of Mongolia is many times smaller, bounded by the former Soviet Union in the north and China in the south. Its history has never been less than eventful -- the same can be said of its art.

"Modern Paintings of Mongolia: Its Origin up to Today," now at the Tokyo Station Art Gallery, showcases 73 paintings that reflect not only the country's dramatic artistic evolution during the 19th and 20th centuries, but also the social and political upheavals of modern Mongolia.