Seiyō-gadan

Seiyō-gadan (1799) is a significant work by the Japanese artist and scholar Shiba Kōkan. This text, which translates to "Dissertation on Western Painting," served as an explanation of the fundamental principles of realism as found in Western art. Kōkan was a pivotal figure in introducing Western culture to Japan during the Tokugawa period. He was a pioneer in Western-style oil painting and the first Japanese artist to create a copperplate etching. His engagement with Western art was driven by his study of Dutch books, which were the only foreign texts available to him at the time. Through Seiyō-gadan, Kōkan shared his acquired knowledge of Western techniques, including shading and perspective, moving away from the traditional ukiyo-e style.1