Shimane Art Museum

The Shimane Art Museum is a prefectural art museum located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Inaugurated in 1999, the institution serves as a significant cultural venue bridging Japanese and Western artistic traditions. Its holdings span from Momoyama period folding screens to modern European painting, sculpture, and photography, alongside a substantial collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The museum plays a vital role in the region by preserving and exhibiting a diverse range of visual arts that span centuries and geographies.

The museum was officially inaugurated on March 1, 1999. Its construction took place between 1996 and 1998 under the direction of the architect Kiyonori Kikutake. Since opening, the institution has expanded its historical scope significantly, notably in 2017 when researcher Nagata Seiji donated a substantial collection of works related to Katsushika Hokusai and his disciples, greatly enhancing the museum's ukiyo-e holdings.

The museum houses a broad collection of Japanese and Western art. Its Western holdings emphasize European painting and sculpture from the 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring academic, Realist, Impressionist, and Fauvist works. The collection also includes early European photography. Japanese art strengths include Momoyama period folding screens and a major ukiyo-e collection totaling 3,000 pieces and documents. Within this ukiyo-e holding is the specialized Hokusai Collection, comprising 2,500 works related to the artist and his disciples, of which 1,600 are by Hokusai himself.

Notable Western paintings in the collection include Gustave Courbet's La vague (1868), Camille Corot's Passage en bateau, pres de Douai (1870-72), Claude Monet's L'Aiguille et la Porte d'Aval (1886), Paul Gauguin's Abreuvoir (1886), and Alfred Sisley's Boating (1877). Sculpture highlights include bronze works by Auguste Rodin, Monument a Victor Hugo (1897), and Antoine Bourdelle, Penelope (1912). Photographic works include Gustave Le Gray's Raging Waves (1856-59) and Nadar's Charles Baudelaire (1856). The Japanese collection features Momoyama folding screens and a large group of works by Katsushika Hokusai and his disciples Teisai Hokuba and Totoya Hokkei.

The museum building was designed by the architect Kiyonori Kikutake. The structure has a total floor area of 12,500 square metres, providing ample space for its permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.

The Shimane Art Museum is located in the city of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As a prefectural institution, it serves as a primary venue for arts and culture in the region. The museum maintains an official website with both Japanese and English language access for visitors.