White rappers used to be a joke until a credible one -- Eminem -- came along. In a similar way, Japanese artists' early efforts to master Western oil painting ended up looking extremely ersatz, clumsy or derivative; their paintings mere experiments or study pieces rather than true works of art. The urge to slavishly imitate, however, given time and talent, becomes the urge to emulate. In the case of Japanese Western-style oil painting, this can be seen in the work of Narashige Koide (1887-1931), currently showcased in an extensive exhibition at the Yokohama Sogo Museum.

His early pencil sketches and watercolors -- see "Sketches of the Three Nights Trip" (1906) -- show a wonderfully light touch, more in keeping with nihonga, setting a contrast with the dark, heavy, ornate style of oil painting he later favored. A constant factor in his art was his poor health. Suffering from congenital heart disease, he was confined indoors for most of his life. It is perhaps for this reason that a great many of his paintings, even his landscapes, have an indoor feel.

He was attracted to dark, somber tones like those apparent in "View of the City Under the Snow" (1925). The pre-war architecture of his native Osaka, rendered in thick, dark brushstrokes, gives the city almost an atmosphere of a dark, Nordic winter.