#35 Yoshio Markino

To finish off the collection of beautiful things, we’re looking at a book by a Japanese artist and writer from the late 19th/early 20th century, who painted some scenes that may look familiar.

If you want to see more of the book, there is an open access copy available - just search SOLO for the title.

1. The book is Oxford from within, written by Hugh de Selincourt.

2. It is illustrated by Yoshio Markino, who provided 20 paintings for the volume.

3. It was published in London in 1910.

4. Markino was born in Japan, learning English and Chinese, and studying at a school run by American Protestant Missionaries.

5. He wrote accounts of his life called ‘When I was a child’ and ‘My recollections and reflections’, which he also illustrated.

6. On leaving Japan, he travelled to San Francisco, and then on to London, where he settled from 1897 to 1942. He was forced to return home when Britain declared war on Japan.

7. In 1910, he travelled with Christabel Pankhurst and other suffragettes, whose movement he supported.

8. He chose to Anglicise his name to Markino (it should properly be Makino) to ensure the English would pronounce it properly, and not May-kino.

9. In his art, he combined traditions from both Japanese and Western art, and particularly loved painting mist and fog. He said that he much preferred the fog in London to that of San Francisco.

10. We own this small collection of Markino’s works, and other antiquarian books on Japan, to the kind donation of Dr James McMullan.