Joel Elgin. The Influence of Japan, Day 2:
Painting
So much 3D artwork, your heads must be
swimming in that dimension (though sadly you are seeing it in 2D on your
computer screens) , too bad we can’t travel the world and actually see this
artwork huh? Oh wait, you can – do it! Plan first though because the
coronavirus is putting a damper on travel.
Let’s take a quick run through some really
important 2D artwork from Japan.
Suibokuga means painting in black ink. It came
from China and you can see the influence of Buddhism.
Suibokuga
1
The Chinese techniques dominated until the
beginning of the Edo period (1603-1867). Then a more Japanese style painting
developed called yamato-e.
Pheasants
under Cherry and Willow Trees and Irises and Mist
Edo
period, first half 17th century
Location
Japan, Kyoto Prefecture,
Nishihonganji
Material
Ink and color on gold leaf on
paper,pair of six-panel folding screens
Each
63 x 143 1/4 in. (160 x 363.9 cm)
In reaction to the Chinese influence a number
of “schools” developed including:
1.) Kano painting school
Kano Masanobu (1453-1490) and his son Kano
Motonobu (1476-1559)
Recognized by compositions that emphasized
large flat areas.
Kano
Masanobu
Zhou
Maoshu Viewing Lotus Flowers
Date
1434-1530
Paper
ink and color 35.98425197 in. high
Nakamura
Collection, Aomori, Japan
Kanö
Motonobu, Japanese, 1476 - 1559
Tiger
Ink
and color on paper; mounted as a hanging scroll
2
feet 9 1/4 inches x 1 foot 5 1/4 inches (84.5 x 43.8 cm) Mount: 5 feet 8 inches
x 1 foot 9 3/4 inches (172.7 x 55.2 cm)
Philadelphia
Museum of Art
2.) Tosa-ha painting school
Recognized by small, illustrative paintings of
the imperial court.
Tosa
Mitsuoki
("The
Perfumed Prince")
3.) Nanga painting school
Recognized by subjects including, landscapes,
birds, flowers painted for the elite.
Meandering
Stream at Lan-ting Yamamoto Jakurin
Hanging
scroll color on silk
4.) Shijo painting school
18th century (was originally connected Kano
school).
Recognized by content including, common
everyday life. Social artwork that was often satirical.
Shinobazu
Pond by Odano Naotake
1.) Emakimono. A scroll made by pasting
individual sheets together. Read from right to left.
Hell
of Pus and Blood
Late
12th century Early Kamakura; Late Heian
detail
emakimono; handscrolls
colors
on paper
height:
26.7 cm, full length: 435.0 cm (10.4 x 179 in)
Nara
National Museum (Japanese repository, Nara, contemporary)
Hell Scroll, "Illustrated Scroll of the
Six Paths of Rebirth", depicting seven of the sixteen lesser hells from
the Sutra of the World Arising.
2.) Kakemono. Vertical scrolls.
Kawamata
Tsunemasa
Two
Bijin: Parody of Kanzan and Jittoku
Hanging
Scroll
Date
Edo period, Kampo - Kan'en eras, c. 1741-1751
Painting
in kakemono form on paper.
93.3
x 27.9 cm. 36 3/4 x 11" Mount: 68 1/4 x 15 1/4" Length: 36 1/4"
Width: 11"
The
Art Institute of Chicago, The Clarence Buckingham Collection
3.) Byobu. Folding screens functionally used as room
separators.
Cypresses,
eightfold byobu screen 168x456cm. Color, gold leaf on paper
National
Museum, Tokyo
Ogata
Korin 1658-1716,
Matsushima
zu byobu
Waves
at Matsushima
Six-panel
folding screen; ink, color, and gold on paper; Six-panel folding screen; ink,
color and gold on paper 150.18 x 367.79 cm (59 1/8 x 144 13/16 in.)
Museum
of Fine Arts, Boston
4.) Fusuma. Sliding Doors. Sliding doors “Mirror of Emperors" Kano.
5.) Uchiwa – Painted fans.
Kunichika,
Fan Print 1 (Uchiwa-e)
Painted fans, screens, scrolls…. Where are the
prints? Friday is finally the day I will put some examples up. Thanks for your
patience but we did have to wait until paper became popular after the Chinese
first developed it around 105 A.D.
Thanks for reading and see you Friday to look
at some prints!
