‘Japanese Painters Under World War II: How Did They Survive War?’

July 18-Sept. 23

During Japan’s 15 turbulent years of war — from the Manchurian Incident of 1931, through the Second Sino War from 1937 to the end of World War II in 1945 — artists, despite difficulties, continued to explore means of expression. For some, the conflict provided a source of new themes that led to new styles. This show brings together 14 famous artists’ works, ranging in genres from Western-style oils to Japanese-style paintings and woodblock prints, offering depictions of subjects that vary from seemingly peaceful scenes of a family at a beach to a window view of an atomic bomb’s mushroom cloud.

Spanning prewar and postwar periods, these works not only provide a visual context to a period of Japan’s history, they also offer some insight into the affects of war on the artists themselves.

Nagoya City Art Museum; 2-17-25 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi. Osukannon Stn. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Fri. till 8 p.m.) ¥1,300. Closed Mon. 052-212-0001; www.art-museum.city.nagoya.jp

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