こしかたの記

これを私の自叙伝と見られてもさしつかえはないものの、筆者としては、むしろ追懐を叙するのが先きであったのを明かにしておきたい。

古人はよく人生を旅にたとえている。私の花束な書きものも、詮ずるところ、その曽遊の長旅に得た、見聞、随想、または、これを誰かに知っておいてもらいたいとか、なかには傍の思惑をもかえり見ず、わがよろこびを抑えかねて、好みを同じくする人々に伝えたくて筆をすすめたものもある。

はじめのほうにある数章は、中央公論誌上で連載したのに手を加えて収めたものがある。

「こしかたの記」の題名は、管つて自分の随筆本のなかでも用いているが、本書は新たに起稿したものである。

云うまでもなく私は画を業としているが、前半生は専門の挿絵画家であり、後半生に至ってーー何と云うかー展覧会に作品を発表するのが常態の画家になった。見られる通り本書では、前半生にあたる明治時代の終るところで筆を捌いた。

明治末に開設された文展は、大正のなかば組織が改まって帝展に移り、とかくの批判はあっても、文展は十二回、帝展は十五回を重ね、帝展の改組に続いて新文展の成立を見たが、第二次大戦が起って中断された。研究と批判とは他の分野に人が在ろうが、偶々そのただなかに身を処した私は、この機会に何かしらかきとめるところもあろうと、なお筆をつづけるつもりである。

Although this may be considered my autobiography, I want to make it clear that I wrote it more as a reminiscence of my past than an autobiography.

The ancients often compared life to a journey. Some of my writings are observations and essays that I have made during my long journey, some I want to share with someone, and some I have written to share my joy with those who share my taste, regardless of their own intentions, because I could not contain my joy.

Some of the chapters at the beginning of this book were originally published in Chuo Koron magazine, but I have adapted them.

I have used the title "Koshikata no Ki" in my own essays, but this book is a new draft with the same title.

Needless to say, I am a painter by profession, but in the first half of my life I was an illustrator by profession, and in the second half of my life I have become, how shall I say, a painter whose work is usually exhibited. As you can see, in this book I have dealt with the first half of my life at the end of the Meiji era.

The Bunten exhibition, which was established at the end of the Meiji period, was reorganized and moved to the Teiten in the middle of the Taisho period (1912-1926), and although there was a lot of criticism, the Bunten and Teiten were held 12 and 15 times, respectively. Although there may be others in other fields of research and criticism, as I happen to be in the midst of it all, I intend to continue writing, hoping to find something to write about on this occasion.