Shoen Uemura1875~1949 上村松園

Born in 1875 in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto; died in 1949. She enrolled in the Kyoto Prefectural Painting School at age 12 and studied under Suzuki Shonen, gaining recognition at age 16 when her painting “Shiki Bijin-zu” won first prize at the Third National Industrial Exhibition. She became the foremost painter of bijin-ga in the nihonga style, with representative works including “Jo no Mai” (Prelude to the Dance), “Honoo” (Flame), and “Hanagatami” (Flower Basket). In 1948, she became the first woman to receive Japan’s Order of Culture.