著者

味岡 京子

出版者

お茶の水女子大学

雑誌

人間文化論叢 (ISSN:13448013)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.9, pp.1-11, 2006

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The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago, USA, in 1893. There was a pavilion in the exposition known as the Woman's Building, which was completely organized and managed by women. This writing discloses the background to how Japan became part of the Woman's Building and what the exhibition was like, and considers Japan's purpose at that time and how it interacted with Western trends. The Japanese government spent a large amount of money for taking part in The World's Columbian Exposition with the prime purpose of promoting trade and introducing Japanese art to the world. Since it was the preceding year to the Sino-Japanese War, it seems that they also had the intention to appeal for Japan's superiority as the only modernized country in Asia and justify its colonial orientation. Women's art-a subject to which scant attention had been paid in Japan-was redefined in the process of modernization by providing new meanings through exhibits at the Woman's Building. This article aims to emphasize the role of women in modernization through the relationship between art and women, by revealing the status of women artists and what was expected of them.