FUKUHARA Shinzo

FUKUHARA Shinzo 福原 信三 (1883-1948) Tokyo. Major figure in pictorialist landscape photography. Third son of drugstore owner FUKUHARA Arinobu who founded a drugstore named Shiseido (forerunner of Shiseido Cosmetics Co.) Elder brother of FUKUHARA Roso.

Interested in Japanese-style and Western paintings as a child and hoped to become a painter. Received his first camera from his father at age 13 in 1896. Consequently found much interest in photography since junior high and joined camera clubs. Started studying pharmacology in 1903 at the school that became Chiba University. Studied photography during junior high school. Studied pharmacology at Columbia University in New York in 1908. After graduating in 1910, worked at a drugstore in New York. In 1911, worked at a cosmetic factory in a New York City suburb and studied the formulation and manufacturing of cosmetics.

Traveled to Europe in 1912-1913 visiting England, Germany, Italy, etc. Stayed in Paris where he photographed the Seine River. Upon returning to Japan in late 1913, took over his father's drugstore. Later in 1916, he established the company's cosmetics department in Ginza, Tokyo for which the company is now famous.

He also started a company called Shashin Geijutsu-sha with a few other photographers including his younger brother FUKUHARA Roso to publish a photo magazine called Shashin Geijutsu in 1921. The company published photo books as well, and its emphasis on the gradations of light had a great influence on the photographers of the day as a new technique for photographic expression.

The magazine folded due to the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 which also destroyed the Shiseido store, Shinzo's residence, his camera equipment, and original photos. Shinzo formed the Nihon Shashin-kai amateur photographers association in 1924 and served as its first president. The organization was a major pre-war influence on Japanese photography and still exists today despite a temporary dissolution during the war years.

In Feb. 1936, he traveled to Hawaii with fellow photographer NOJIMA Yasuzo on the Chichibu Maru passenger ship. During the 18-day stay, he photographed Oahu featuring the intense tropical sunlight. The photos were later published as his final photo book. He did all this while at the helm of Shiseido.

His most noted works were taken in the 1920s. The sepia photographs have a dreamy, soft, misty, and pictorialist look. Being stricken with an eye disease during his final years, Shinzo lost his eyesight about a year before his death at age 65. (2001.09.16)

Biography in Japanese

１８８３年７月２５日、東京府京橋区出雲町に福原有信、とく夫妻の三男として生まれる。中学時代は画家を志すが父親の希望に従い薬学の道にすすんだ。

１９０８年コロンビア大学薬学部に留学。卒業後１年間にわたりヨ?ロッパ各地を歴訪する。パリでは留学中の藤田嗣治、川島理一郎など芸術家と交流し美術への造詣を深めた。１９１３年帰国。１９１５年資生堂の経営に本格的に従事する。

１９２１年冩眞藝術社を設立。『冩眞藝術』誌を創刊し、誌上で写真芸術論「光と其諧調」を展開、写真家たちに大きな影響を与えた。１９２２年ヨ?ロッパで撮影した約２０００点の作品から２４点を選び、初めての写真集『巴里とセイヌ』を出版。１９２３年関東大震災により冩眞藝術社の活動は中断されたが、1924年日本冩眞会を結成し初代会長に就任した。１９２６年写真専門の月刊誌『日本冩眞会々報』を創刊。作品の発表と共に毎号にわたり写真論、エッセイ、作品批評などを執筆した。信三の「写真による芸術」の提唱は絵画芸術の模倣に流れがちだった従来の写真観に一石を投じるものであった。

信三が生前に発表した写真集は７冊、雑誌類に発表された写真論は１００余に昇るものであり、大正末から昭和初期にわたる日本近代写真の明期のパイオニア的存在であった。また、信三は写真のみならず、絵画、工芸、建築、デザインなど様々な分野にわたる一流の文化人と交流し、芸術家へのパトロネ-ジをはじめとするア-トディレクションの分野でも才能を発揮したが、自社の商品や広告デザインも信三の徹底した美意識の下に制作されたものであり、この生涯を通じて貫かれた妥協を許さない、美と豊かさを第一とする信念が資生堂の企業としてのスタイルの基本をかたちづくるものとなった。

１９４８年１１月４日、上大崎長者丸にて逝去、享年６５歳。

（www.shiseido.co.jp より）