The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
The National Museum of Western Art is the only place in Japan where European masterpieces reign supreme. Why? Because one man had a vision鈥攁 very expensive and very artistic vision.
That man was Matsukata Kojiro, a shipping magnate with a taste for fine art and even finer friendships. Not content with just hoarding paintings, he rubbed elbows with the likes of Claude Monet and set out to share his love for Western art with Japan. His dream? A museum dedicated entirely to European masters. The result? This very institution, designed by none other than Le Corbusier, the French architect who knew a thing or two about modernist charm. And so, in 1959, the doors swung open, revealing the treasures of the Matsukata Collection to the Japanese public.
Today, this museum isn鈥檛 just a modest little gallery鈥攊t鈥檚 a treasure trove of 4,500 works, spanning the 14th to the 20th century. The main hall is a crash course in Renaissance and Baroque grandeur, featuring Veronese and Rubens, whose religious imagery is as dramatic as a historical soap opera. Venture into the new wing, and suddenly you鈥檙e surrounded by the geniuses of modern art鈥擬onet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso. As if that weren鈥檛 enough, the museum鈥檚 drawing collection boasts sketches by Boucher, Moreau, Rodin, and C茅zanne, while the print collection spans five centuries of artistic brilliance.
So whether you鈥檙e here for the old masters, the Impressionists, or just to impress a date with your cultured side, the National Museum of Western Art serves the purpose all the same. So, step in, soak it up, and remember鈥擪ojiro Matsukata dreamed big so you could admire bigger!
That man was Matsukata Kojiro, a shipping magnate with a taste for fine art and even finer friendships. Not content with just hoarding paintings, he rubbed elbows with the likes of Claude Monet and set out to share his love for Western art with Japan. His dream? A museum dedicated entirely to European masters. The result? This very institution, designed by none other than Le Corbusier, the French architect who knew a thing or two about modernist charm. And so, in 1959, the doors swung open, revealing the treasures of the Matsukata Collection to the Japanese public.
Today, this museum isn鈥檛 just a modest little gallery鈥攊t鈥檚 a treasure trove of 4,500 works, spanning the 14th to the 20th century. The main hall is a crash course in Renaissance and Baroque grandeur, featuring Veronese and Rubens, whose religious imagery is as dramatic as a historical soap opera. Venture into the new wing, and suddenly you鈥檙e surrounded by the geniuses of modern art鈥擬onet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso. As if that weren鈥檛 enough, the museum鈥檚 drawing collection boasts sketches by Boucher, Moreau, Rodin, and C茅zanne, while the print collection spans five centuries of artistic brilliance.
So whether you鈥檙e here for the old masters, the Impressionists, or just to impress a date with your cultured side, the National Museum of Western Art serves the purpose all the same. So, step in, soak it up, and remember鈥擪ojiro Matsukata dreamed big so you could admire bigger!
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Tokyo. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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The National Museum of Western Art on Map
Sight Name: The National Museum of Western Art
Sight Location: Tokyo, Japan (See walking tours in Tokyo)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Sight Location: Tokyo, Japan (See walking tours in Tokyo)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
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