Abstract
This study examines 69 drawings by higher division students at Nihonbashi Joto Elementary School, including those by Kawabata Ryushi in the authorʼs collection, alongside his 60 drawings housed in the Ota City Ryushi Memorial Museum. The analysis aims to illuminate drawing education during the late Meiji period, revealing that these drawings were copies of textbooks by Hashimoto Gaho and Nomura Bunkyo. Teaching methods were analysed by grade level, subject matter, and evaluations. It was noted that subjects were chosen based on the characteristics of the school's commercial district, rather than being constrained by gender. Enlarged copies of models were commonly used, and the drawings exhibited creative and expressive interpretation and modification, challenging the prevailing belief that drawing education relied strictly on reproducing models. The study also highlights the schoolʼs advanced approach to art education.
