ARH Test 3
Ukiyo-e
"Pictures of the Floating World"
Ronin
"wandering samurai" - a warrior with no lord or master. Famous story: 47 ronin
Elements of a Ukiyo-e print
-Artists's signature -Name of publisher -Censor's kiwame seal
Ukiyo-e Genres
-Beauties -The Yoshiwara District (the Pleasure quarters) -Courtesans/ shunga (erotic painting) -Famous geisha/ courtesans -Kabuki theatres -Fantasies/ social satires -Manga -Landscapes
Confucian Social Order
-Samurai -Farmer -Artisan -Merchant -The Underclass
Portrait of a Perry, a North American
19th Century, Nagasaki Prefecture, color woodblock print. In 1853, American Commodore Matthew Perry led a fleet of four ships (The Black Ships) and sailed into Uraga Harbor at the mouth of Edo Bay bearing a letter from the US president asking for favorable treatment and trade relations. Japan ended its isolationist policy thereafter.
Chonin (townspeople)
A social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. The majority of chonin were artisans and merchants.
Japan in the West (Japonisme)
A style in French and American nineteenth-century art that was highly influenced by Japanese art, especially prints. Examples are Van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Meiji Restoration
Abolished the Confucian-based social hierarchy. Adopted Shinto as the state religion. Rekindled worship of the emperor as a "living god". Promoted Westernization as the only path by which Japan could regain its glory. Modern cityscape and new built environment. Development of modern military power.
Scene from the Yoshiwara Pleasure District
Attributed to Okumura Masanobu, early 17th century, Edo period.
Architectural developments during the Momoyama and Edo Period
Castle construction for Shoguns and Daimyos began around 1600-1615. Shoin complexes were popularized after 1620 when castle construction was banned. Served both defense, political, and residential functions. Interiors of the castles: walls, screens (byobu) and sliding doors (fusuma) needed toe be decorated. The Kano school of painters were commissioned to decorate many of the interiors of daimyo's and shogun's castles.
Shoin Style Architecture
Evolved out of the aristocratic shinden. Residential buildings for the elites, including the samurai. The structures, especially the reception room, reflects the formal relationship between the daimyo and his retainers. In its most elaborate form, it has a raised platform to elevate the position of the lord. Behind where the lord sat was a "tokonoma", an alcove for a painting and simple decoration. Tatami was used to carpet the entire room. Space is organized by opening or closing of the sliding doors (fusuma) and shoji screens. This style of buildings influenced Japanese architectural styles for centuries to come.
Rediscovery of Japanese Culture in the 1880s and after
Export art: ceramic, lacquer and other decorative arts. Participation in international expositions. Combining Japanese and Western Motifs. Catering to the foreign market. Japanese again appreciated traditional arts a symbol of national identity.
Ukiyo-e Landscapes
Flourished since the mid-18th century as traveling became popular. Common people were permitted to travel freely as long as their stated purpose was a pilgrimage to religious sites. Images of scenery in Japan were made into prints as souvenirs.
The Emperor's New Look
Humanizing the emperor with public appearances. New images of the emperor and imperial household. Militarization.
Kano School - Monochromatic
Influenced by the Zen-monk painting and the Chinese but with bolder composition. Utilized the architectural elements to emphasize the meanings of the motifs. Bold composition and broad brushstrokes articulated with subtle contrasts of gray ink, white paper, and pale gold mists.
Kano School - Blue and Gold Style
Kano Eitoku was well known and received many commissions from the elites. He developed the formulaic blue and gold style to quicken the production process. Emphasized on solid sculptural forms and the whole is unified by a gold-leaf ground.
The Arrival of the Portugese
Kano Naizen, Momoyama Period, 1593. Portion of a 6 panel screen. Arrival of Portuguese gave rise to commercial and cultural exchanges. Ships depicted among golden clouds. A lot of curiosity and a festive atmosphere aroused by the arrival of the ships. The Portuguese brought diverse products and exotic animals.
Yoshiwara at Night
Katsuhika Oi, ca 1850s. Hanging scroll (Ukiyo-e). Most famous work by Oi, daughter of Hokusai. Yoshiwara was a red-light district (lots of brothels and prostitutes). Painting shows a contrast between light and dark with vibrant colors. Draws attention to the women working in their brothel quarters but is blocked by the poles to show how their individuality is concealed by the brothel setting. Captures the "twilight" moment when customers have begun to arrive but the night remains young. Shows how the brilliance of the public façade of brothels conceal a darker, grimmer side of the pleasure district. Lanterns being carried help with the use of light/shadows.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Katsushika Hokusai, Edo period, ca. 1831. Known for the use of the Prussian blue. Hokusai's most famous work. Depicts the area around Mt. Fuji with a storm's enormous wave threatening fishing boats. Blue provides a feeling of cold and helplessness. Shows the unpredictableness of nature. "Those who fight and struggle against all odds will prevail in the end". Thousands of copies of this print were quickly produced and sold cheaply. Example of a Ukiyo-e print.
Interior of the Great Hall of the Ninomaru Palace, Niji Castle
Kyoto, late 17th century. Built by the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Ninomaru Palace is one of three areas that make up Niji Castle, it is the second ring of defense to the castle. Contains a lot of medieval artwork. Palace served as the residence and office of the shogun during his visits to Kyoto.
Meiji Restoration (1868)
Lower ranking officials (Shishi - men of determination) wanted to restore the emperor's power - "expel the barbarians", "revere the emperor". January 1868 - coalition of Shishi overthrew bakufu and got rid of the Shogun. Tokugawa Shogun formallyed stepped down in 1867. 17 year old Meiji Emperor was accompanied to Edo and imperial power was restored.
The Ukiyo-e Artists
The first generation of artists who made a living by the mass sale of their work, but not by patronage. The publishers played an important role in determining the subject matter of the prints. Production of prints was a collective effort of eshi (painter), horishi (cutter), and surishi (rubber/printer). They generally followed the styles/schools of their teachers.
Restoring the Emperor's Ruling Authority
The imperial pageantry. These spectacular state ceremonials brought the emperor directly before the masses. The emperor's two bodies: the physical (secular ruler) and the divine (descendant of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu).
City of Edo and it's Cultural Development
The rise of the Chonin class. The city became the center of a vibrant, new popular culture. Kabuki, puppet theatre, pleasure quarters, popular novels, haiku poetry, etc. Blurring of social class and boundary. The idea of the floating world (Ukiyo). Consumption and pleasures, popular and affordable images being sold.
The Kano School
The school of painters were most well-known for their painters on walls, fusuma, and byobu in the castles and shoin for the aristocrats, samurai, and wealthy townsmen. Their works were patronized by the most powerful samurai lords and shoguns. Major styles: blue-and-gold and monochromatic. Combined Yamato-e and Kanga-e (Chinese style)
Edo period (1615-1868)
Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan and moved the seat of power to Edo (present day Tokyo). Emperor became a ceremonial head of state w/ no power. Anti-foreign and anti-christian. Re-emphasized Confucian ideology and aimed to reinforced a centralized government. Political stability led to economic and population growth with a flourishing urban culture. Subject matter in art became more secular to fulfill the demand of the urban population.
Portrait of the Meiji Emperor (1872)
Uchida Kuichi, Meiji period, 1872.
Portrait of the Meiji Emperor (1873)
Uchida Kuichi, Meiji period, 1873 (see stuff below about meiji restoration). This was the emperor's official portrait. Shows him in a Western military uniform.
Whale Hunting at Goto in Hizen Province from the Series One Hundred Views of Famous Places in the Provinces
Utagawa Hiroshige II, Edo period, 1859. Whaling was big in Japan during this time. Whalers would spot whales from stations along the shore and launch boats to catch them with harpoons and lances.
Interior of a Kabuki Theatre
Utagawa Toyokuni I. ca 1800, Edo period. Kabuki = the arts of song and dance. A popular type of theatre. Women were not allowed to act in the theatre since 1629, and the female roles were played by men (Onnagata). Prints of actors and theatrical scenes were very popular.
A Mirror of Japanese Nobility
Yoshu Chikanobu, Meiji Period, 1887. The prints are a form of propaganda supporting the new regime change from the feudal system of the Tukugawa Shogunate to the power of the emperor. The rapidity at which Japanese culture changed can be seen in the extent to which even the aristocracy, the arguable core and preservers of Japanese tradition, readily accepted Western clothing and architecture.
