Tokuoka Shinsen's studies followed the ideal path, from early training in a private studio to formal studies at art school. In his case, the studio was the Chikujo-kai of Takeuchi Seiho (1864-1942) and Tsuchida Bakusen (1887-1936), and the art schools were the Kyoto Municipal High School of Arts and Crafts, followed by the Kyoto Municipal College of Painting. He was disappointed briefly when, after graduation in 1917, he was not accepted as an exhibitor in the Ministry of Education's competitive exhibition, at that time called the Bunten. The next several years became a time of close self-examination concerning the meaning of his art. By the 1930's, Shinsen emerged as an important figure in the world of nihonga, and became established as one of its principal figures during the 1940's and 1950's. Shinsen was a member of the Japan Art Institute, an institution dedicated to the modernization of nihonga. In Shinsen's case, that goal was realized by rendering themes from nature through highly reductive compositions, idealized forms, and gorgeous colors. This style came to be seen as the nihonga equivalent of abstract expressionism, while the deliberate preparation of his textured painting surfaces were compared to the surface qualities of oil painting. Yet, Shinsen's images are quintessentially Japanese, as they capture the essence of nature in images such as this isolated branch of lily, crowned with a single perfect blossom.