Portrait of an old man

Okada Saburosuke, a prominent figure in the Yōga (Western-style painting) movement in Japan, created this "Portrait of an Old Man" around 1900. Okada's career, marked by an unusually smooth progression, saw him become a professor at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and a founding member of the Hakuba-kai (White Horse Society). He studied in France with Raphaël Collin, an experience that deeply influenced his approach to portraiture. While Okada is particularly renowned for his elegant and warm depictions of women, this portrait of an old man demonstrates his broader skill in capturing human character. This work, painted early in his professional career, likely after his return from France, would have showcased his mastery of Western oil painting techniques, which he championed throughout his life. It reflects the burgeoning interest in Western artistic traditions in Japan at the turn of the 20th century.