Non-western Art
Japanese Art
Japanese art consists of a variety of different paintings,
pottery, sculptures, jade carvings, calligraphy, and other visual decorative
art pieces. The earliest complex art in Japan was produced in the 7th
and 8th centuries and was connected to Buddhism. In the 9th
century Japan began to turn away from China. They began to develop indigenous forms
of expression and arts became important, and both secular and religious arts
began to flourish. Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan.
The Edo period is one of the richest in the history of
Japanese art. “Edo refers both to the City of Edo (Tokyo) and the time period
of 1615-1868. During this time there was a significant stability in politics,
which allowed a vibrant popular culture and new styles of artistic express to emerge.
Woodblock prints became popular during the Edo period. “The
Great Wave off Kanagawa”, by Katsuchika Hokusai was published sometime
between 1829 and 1833 and is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was
the first print in a series of thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. The painting shows
a large wave threatening to crash into three boats off the coast in Sagami Bay.
You can see in the background Mount Fuji appearing to stick out of the water. I
chose this painting because of the color and the emotion it evokes. The blues
give the feeling of the cold water, while the white peaks of the waves seem as
though they are reaching out to the boats like fingers. It looks like a very
exhausting and terrifying moment for those in the boats.
“The Great Wave off Kanagawa”, by Katsuchika Hokusai
Another form of art during the Edo period was porcelain art.
Korean potters brought porcelain to Japan. Arita, Imari, Kakiemon are now household
names due in part to the 17th-century exportation of them from
Northern Kyushu via the Dutch East Indian Company. The porcelain plate below
shows two women walking in what appears to be a field with plant life and birds.
I picked this as an example of Japanese porcelain art because of the vivid blue
color that was used and the great amount of detail on it. If you look on the
outer edge of the painting, you will see another four women in their own separate
squares. And again, four birds in their own spaces. If you look even closer you
can see that each bird is a different type of bird, a crane, duck, swan, and
another type. (I am not sure what it is.) The patterns seem to provide a sense of depth.
This dish was created sometime between 1734 and 1737 and is located in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Another form of Japanese art is Nanga, which translates to “literati
painting”. It refers to the painting practices of learned men. It often brought
together classical Japanese themes and literary sources, especially poems. Ike
no Taiga was a Japanese painter and calligrapher and he, together with Yosa
Buson perfected Nanga (bunjinga). Fishing in Springtime was painted in 1747 and
is in the Cleveland Museum of Art. It is a hanging scroll of silk that was made
with ink and color. This piece of art looks very delicate and soft to me. The
use of soft colors gives it a warm feeling and a sense of depth. Towards the
bottom left side, you can see a boat with two fishermen in it. The feeling
given off by the colors and the setting of the piece seem to depict how the
painter must have felt when he created it. It appears he might have felt at
ease and comfortable while fishing.
References:
Khanacademy.org
en.wikipedia.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanga_(Japanese_painting)
National Gallery of Art
https://www.nga.gov/research/publications/pdf-library/edo-art-in-japan.html
En.wikipedia.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_art#Art_of_the_Edo_period
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful! Thank you for sharing! I have the Great Wave on a decorative fan, even though it’s a print it is still lovey to admire. When I see this wave I remember how powerful nature is, it reminds me of my place in the world and gives a feeling of acceptance to the forces around us. Fighting against water is a hard battle, but riding waves makes for a faster route.
The porcelain is so delicate and detailed. I can’t really tell what the other birds is either, but I know it’s a cute bird which is saying something given how tiny the work is. What is so nice about this piece is how it combines flat art with dimensions. The middle clearly has perspective while the outer shapes and detailed pattern are more 2d.
The third work looks as if it the artist was painting on one hill while looking over a valley. Maybe you’re right, I definitely feel like the work shows the artist was more relaxed. Overall, lovely pieces, I enjoyed reading about them!
Best, Ava
Hi Lisa, I almost did “The Great Wave” but I did the whirlpool one instead. I like the view of Mount Fuji in the background, and I also like the porcelain plate that you displayed, and the art on it. I like Art in general, because it gives me the chance to explore all the artwork around the world. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI also did something on Japan, Japanese art is some of my personal favorite especially pieces like 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai which use woodblock printing techniques. It has a very strong storytelling energy about all of it which is what draws me into it as someone who really enjoys writing and reading. Nanga art also captures that feeling with its inspirations drawn from poems and literature.