Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

“Is it art or obscenity?” With this catch copy the curators at MOMAT attempt to lure an audience to an exhibition of nude paintings of the prewar period. Nudes were not native to Japanese artistic traditions, and created something of an uproar with their introduction from Europe in the late 19th century. This exhibition looks at the uptake of Western nude styles from naturalism to Cubism, and traces the ongoing struggles between artists, audience and government regulators. 80 works are on show by painters like Seiki Kuroda and Harue Koga.

National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, Nov 15-Jan 15 (listing).