Ernest Fenollosa

Ernest Francisco Fenollosa (February 18, 1853 – September 21, 1908) was an American art historian and orientalist, renowned for his significant contributions to the study and preservation of Japanese art. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, he studied philosophy and sociology at Harvard College before moving to Japan in 1878. There, he taught political economy and philosophy at Tokyo Imperial University and, alongside his assistant Okakura Kakuzō, delved into the study of ancient Japanese temples, shrines, and art treasures. Fenollosa played a crucial role in the development of the *nihonga* (Japanese painting) style, collaborating with artists like Kanō Hōgai and Hashimoto Gahō. He was instrumental in founding the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and the Tokyo Imperial Museum, serving as the latter's director in 1888. His efforts led to the drafting of laws for the preservation of cultural heritage and the inventory of Japan's national treasures. Deeply immersed in Japanese culture, Fenollosa converted to Buddhism and was granted several Japanese names. He was honored by Emperor Meiji with the Order of the Rising Sun and the Order of the Sacred Treasures. After returning to the United States in 1890, he served as curator of Oriental Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and organized exhibitions of Chinese and Japanese art. Following a divorce and remarriage, he was dismissed from the museum and returned to Japan to teach English Literature. He died in London in 1908. His unpublished notes on Chinese poetry and Noh drama were later entrusted to Ezra Pound, influencing modernist literature.