Asian Art History Final

*Artist part of "The Stars" art group *Seeds are linked to the culture revolution era *Each seed represents the mass of people who didn't have human rights/individuality with this ruler (not respected) *Porcelain-international audience, wanted to show the Chinese culture-meaningful link to China -Another word for porcelain is "China" *Homeage to Jingdezhen's tradition *Comment on global consumerism-so many things are made in China

Ai Weiwei Sunflower Seeds unglazed porcelain painted with black slip. 2011 Installation at Tate Modern, London •What is the significance and symbolism of the large number of sunflower seeds? •Why did he choose to make them with porcelain? What social commentary is he trying to make through the production process?

*Heavy influence from China: Had access to shogun's collection of Chinese art *Inspired by Southern Song landscape *Depicting the four seasons *Screens used as portable space dividers and decoration Right to left: winter to spring *Composition, rock texture, and trees=obvious Southern Song influence -Diagonal composition -Axe-cut texture strokes -Unnatural angles

Attrib. to Tensho SHUBUN Winter and Spring Landscape 15th century, Muromachi period Six-fold screen. Ink and slight color on paper Japan How does this work reflect the strong influence of Chinese painting in Muromachi Japan? Identify the source of influence and the various references in the painting. Comment on how the composition works on this specific format.

-Subtly combines both narrative and landscape-most is landscape (Shan shui hua)-elongated mountains -Blue and green style(mountains)-first approach to landscape paintings-scene from Lotus Sutra in cave(blue green) *Emperor and army flee the capital to Southwest during a rebellion *Reflects how we understand the world, not how we see the world-all elements are distinct (not interacting with each other), not realistic depiction *Green mountains, very bold, thick outlines of mountains, etc. (not good shading or realism)-gradients *No volume or surface texture on rocks *Figures not interacting with the environment-creates chaotic picture

Attributed to Li Zhaodao, Emperor Minghuang's Journey into Shu Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk Later copy of ca. 800 original, China. •How does this painting reflect the development of landscape painting? •What historical event does the painting depict? •What version of nature is the artist trying to represent? •Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the use of colors, outlines, treatment of space, surface texture, etc.

*Revive traditional Chinese ink painting *Inspired by ancient seal script (calligraphy) *Combines rubbings of ancient ritual bronze vessels and flowers and bold brush strokes *Emphasizes the importance of antiquity, but also made it more accessible (turning a ritual vessel into a practical pot)

Auspicious 'ding' tripods. Wu Changshi (Wu Changshuo) (1842-1927). Ink and color on paper. •What artistic trend does this painting represent? •Where is the artist seeking inspiration from? •What is his artistic goal? What two types of art are combined here?

*After fighting happened, Mao thanked the workers with 40 mangos -Mangos are very exotic, it was a precious gift-needed to be preserved -Shows chairman cared about his followers *Glass box is a reliquary-protects the object and highlights its value and status *Similar-authenticity doesn't matter (symbolism) *Different-not about a holy or religious person-gov. official *Communism like Buddhism *Mangos traveled-people paying respect to the object

Beijing No. 1 Machine Tool Factory Glass case and facsimile mango Wax, glass, metal 1968 China •What is the significance of the mango? •What is the function of the glass box? •How does this object function like a religious relic? How is it different or similar?

*Key goals: south vs. north -Emphasis on correct lineage (old masters) -Great synthesis -Inner principle rather than visible likeness of nature (abstract forms) -"vital force" of the mountain *Based on master Dong Yuen (Five Dynasties), Wang Meng (Yuen Dynasty) *Mountain consists of individual chunks that don't quite connect *Spatial connection is unclear/inconsistent-rebellion from previous art forms What are the lights and darks of the figure? *Lack of logical reference-"vital force" of the mountain

Dong Qichang The Qingbian Mountains. Dated to 1617 (Ming Dynasty) Ink on paper China How does this painting reflect Dong Qichang's art theory? What are his key goals in art? Which ancient master(s) is he referencing here? Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the composition, rock formation, and spatial relationship.

-Monumental landscape *Creating a convincing space in the painting *Vertical comp.-separated into 2 main parts: Foreground and background-separated by a band of mist and water *Made the foreground very small-figures are very small in right corner *Large-measuring 2 meters long *Mountain-no clear contour lines (more shaded in with jagged, smaller contours) *Texture: multiple layers of lines and washes-show the roughness of rock *Raindrop texture strokes-much shorter than hemp-fiber texture stroke

Fan Kuan Travelers Among Mountains and Streams Ink and color on silk 10-11th century (Northern Song Dynasty) China •Please comment on the spatial structure of this painting. •How did the artist manage to make the main peak seem so big? •Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the treatment of space, texture, scale, and atmosphere, etc.

-Ink painting *Adapt to new political environment *Monumental landscape with bird's eye view *Used texture strokes-swift with different amounts of ink (texture and volume) *Red flags on top of mountains=communism and Red Army -Represents the long march of the red army *Red sunset-further political message

Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), Green Mountains Like the Sea, the Dying Sun Like Blood, 1955. •What innovations did the artist make on the basis of the longstanding landscape painting tradition? •How did he adapt to the Communist regime? •How is political message embedded in here?

*Inspired by episode from "Tales of Ise" *Rinpa style: -Landscape is reduced to a few simple abstract elements -Highly stylized mountains, rocks, and river -Color blocks rather than outlines *Tarashikomi texture (wet on wet technique) *Target audience=people who already know the story "Tales of Ise"-the entire visual of the story isn't depicted in the painting *Very stylized, NOT naturalistic

Fukae ROSHU. Ivy Lane (The Path through Mount Utsu) Folding screen, ink and gold leaf on paper. ca. 1700s. Japan. What is the signature Rinpa method of applying colors? Where do you see it used here? What is the target audience of paintings like this? How is literary reference achieved? Is the depiction of water and clouds naturalistic or stylized?

*Wanted to be realistic *Developed the 3 distances-way of achieving effect of distance/space in paintings High distance:looking up the mountain from its foot Deep distance: Looking behind a peak from the front of the mountain-slightly shifting POV from what we see first Level distance:Looking from a nearby mountain at those more distant-illusion of endless space *Mountains are constantly changing(angles, time of day, etc.) Channeling the underlying principle of nature No single light source or single viewpoint The order in nature reflects order in human world-harmonious *Main peak-emperor, big tree=central gov., small plants=regional officials *Water balances with downward movement Architecture suggesting human activity

Guo Xi Early Spring 1072 (Northern Song) Ink and light color on silk China •What did nature and landscape painting mean to Guo Xi? How did he try to show us the multi-faceted mountain? •Please comment on the spatial structure of this painting. •Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the treatment of space, texture, scale, and atmosphere, etc.

*Nihonga-artists Fenollosa and Okakura *Sought to preserve the traditional Japanese painting and modernize it at the same time *When the country was rapidly westernizing, they were worried about the decrease in traditional Japanese arts and crafts *Uses traditional formats like screens or scrolls -Subject matter-landscape, dragons, tigers *-Added atmospheric perspective and shading to create more spatial depth and volume *Not using gold leaf or ambiguous shapes-using clouds, water, and distant mountains (more realistic image)

Hashimoto Gaho Dragon and tiger. Pair of folding screen. 1895 Japan •What art movement does this pair of screens belong to? •What is the motivation behind the development of this movement? •What is the main concept and the key visual features?

*Tried to capture the general atmosphere of the area, rather than the exact visual of mountain -Cropping off the top and bottom to show how big the mountain is *Each stroke is visible-"Hemp-fiber" -Not blended or layered, not hiding brush strokes (long, wavy lines) *No longer interested in representing different textures and surfaces in nature -Rounded landscape -Wavy lines for multiple features of nature

Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (partial). Ink on paper. 14th century (Yuan Dynasty). China. How does this painting reflect the key characteristic of Yuan painting? How is the treatment of rock surface different from Song paintings? Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the composition, treatment of space and surface texture, etc.

*Very geometric design-diagonal pine tree (unnatural/dramatic curve and shape) *Small patches of moss -Areas of blue and green=rocks and water *Flat, golden background -Hard to read spatial relation **We don't know what the gold represents-Sky?Ground? Clouds? *Heavily stylized and decorative-showing a Japanese style with little to no Chinese elements

Kano Eitoku. Cypress tree. Folding screen, color, gold leaf and ink on paper. 16th century. Japan Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the composition, the spatial relationship, and treatment of textures. What does the gold represent? Does this painting show much Chinese influence?

*No vertical elements-composition is dominated by a diagonal tree trunk *Provides an alternative (balance) to the already vertical lines in the room *Allows people to move their eyes around the room easier (visual circulation) *Images are foreground heavy-eyes move along the surface laterally -Not a lot of spatial recession, no illusion of depth

Kano Eitoku. Seasonal landscape. Screen paintings in Daitokuji temple. 1566. Japan How does the painting format affect the composition? Or, in other words, how does the composition work with the format? Note that the painting should be considered part of the architecture.

*Southern Song influence, but more patterns, more staged, and more decorative style *Developing native style-adding more colors, birds, stylized waterfall, and trees *NOT realistic or natural depiction *What nature looks like is not enough, needed to add MORE patterns, colors, etc. *Decoration-Look as pretty and attractive as possible *Stylized-Using a conventionalized style to depict something so it is recognizable, but not necessarily naturalistic -Tree trunk and waterfall stylized

Kano Motonobu, Summer, from Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons. Sliding screens mounted as hanging scroll, ink and color on paper. 15-16th century. Japan. How does this work reflect the development of a more native style? What are the key characteristics? Make sure you understand the idea of decorative and stylize and how these two concepts are present in this painting.

*Each woman is doing a different job in the print process *Does NOT reflect the normal process-all the workers are usually men *Was forbidden to comment on current political affairs, or publish pictures with erotic or other offensive matters *Publisher- orchestrates the production -Artist-designs the image -Carver and printer-transfer the design in the wood block and print it -Censor-approves the content of the print

Kitagawa UTAMARO. "Artist, Block Carver, Applying Sizing." Polychrome woodblock print. About 1803 (Edo period). Japan. •What is this print about? How does it reflect the production process of woodblock prints in Edo period? •Which roles are involved in the production of Edo period woodblock prints?

*Propaganda art-influenced by art from the Soviet Union (Communism) *Mao is depicted as a young man on his way to the city of Anyuan to lead a minor strike *Becomes icon of culture revolution *Realistic in style but idealistic in content *He's standing on top of the world-landscape under his feet -Confident stance -Very realistic -Wind blows his robe-sense of movement and drama -Holds paper umbrella-shows he's down to earth and ready to lead the revolution *Oil on canvas was not the traditional medium-ties it to socialist realism, adopted but adapted from the Soviet Union

Liu Chunhua Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan 1967 Oil on canvas China •What is the subject matter and how did the artist make Mao look heroic? •What is the main influence of this artistic style? •What is the significance of using oil on canvas rather than ink on paper/silk?

-Painted a more specific scenery-personal interpretation *Main peak no longer dominates the image-retreats to the left *Diagonal "one corner" composition (left) *More simplified rock texture-axe cut strokes *Figures are experiencing landscape in more personal way-man struggling to walk in the rain *Northern Song=large-scale, monumental landscape while Southern is smaller, more lyrical landscape paintings

Ma Yuan. Landscape in Rain. Hanging scroll, ink on silk. 12-13th century (Southern Song) China •Please comment on the composition. •Identify the key features of Southern Song landscape painting style as seen in here. •How is this different from Northern Song landscapes?

*Southern Song-incorporation of poetry *Intimate format with the landscape and album leaf *Diagonal comp. -most image on left -Willow tree branches lead to the poem The composition of landscape naturally directs the attention to the lines of poetry (inscribed by emperor)

Ma Yuan. Walking on Path in Spring. Album leaf, Ink and color on silk. 12-13th century (Southern Song). China. •Please comment on the composition and format •How do the two lines of poetry fit into this painting? •What is the relationship between text and image?

"One river, two banks" *Pingdan: Blandness, unperturbedness *Literati ideal of leading a peaceful life where scholar can focus on his scholarship and art One pavilion-but never people in composition *Creating a single mode of art that conveys the artist's character-uncorrupted by society

Ni Zan The Rongxi Studio 1372 (Yuan dynasty) Ink on paper China Please comment on the composition and style. How does this painting reflect the key characteristic of Yuan painting? How does this painting reflect the artist's personality?

*Target audience=people who already know the story "Tales of Ise"-the entire visual of the story isn't depicted in the painting -Protagonist was banished and came across the bridge and flowers, the irises inspired him to write a love poem *Image is very flat-no good sense of depth -Only from the staggered iris bushes *Irises are seen from a side view, while the bridge is seen from a higher, aerial view (inconsistent spatial relationship) *Proportions are off-irises are way too big compared to the bridge *Flowers are too decorative/too perfect to look realistic *Bridge is stylized-used tarashikomi texture (wet on wet) for the wood surface (not realistic) *Gold represents another world(?) Different than reality

Ogata KORIN, Irises at Eight Bridges, after 1709 Folding screens, ink and color on gold leaf on paper. Japan What is the target audience of paintings like this? How is literary reference achieved? How is space suggested? What view point(s) are you taking for the irises and the bridge? How is the wood surface on the bridge represented? What does the gold background represent?

*Nishiki-e=Polychrome prints *Colors are still limited Each color applied separately *Woman reading handscroll -Ties the kimono in the front, not the back like regular women do *Privately published suzuki prints

Suzuki Harunobu Beauty Reading by the Window 1765 (Edo period) Polychromatic woodblock print Japan •How were colors applied on this image? (it is among the earliest examples of this method) •Is this a commercially or privately published print? •What is the subject matter? How do we know it?

*Very stylized water and clouds-highly geometric gold clouds and dramatic waves -Lots of gold *It still represents a real place *Level of variation in ink and color -*Tarashikomi (wet on wet) technique -Watery ink wash technique *On the green and blue mountains and in the waves *Painting made for a patron whose name means "sea coast", which is the same as the subject matter in painting

Tawaraya SOTATSU, Waves at Matsushima (Pine Island) Folding screens, Ink, color, and silver on gold leaf on paper 17th century. Japan Is the depiction of water and clouds naturalistic or stylized? What is the signature Rinpa method of applying colors? Where do you see it used here? How does the subject matter serve to flatter the patron?

*Beauty picture-ink print -Tan-e (red-lead pictures) *Single colored print, with hand painted colors *Tried to imitate line variations like in a painting (thick, black lines) *Woman is reading a poem, showing her high status and literacy *Ukiyo-e="Images of the floating world" -Buddhist concept that highlights the transient nature of human life -*Entertainment industry-musicians, actors, courtesans -Illustrated guide books-early forms of ukiyo-e -Women were literate to communicate with their elite clients

Torii Kiyomasu Courtesan Reading a Poem c. 1715 (Edo period) Hand-colored woodblock print. Japan. •What medium is this? How were colors applied on this image? •What is the subject matter? •How would you characterize the lines •Make sure you understand what "ukiyo-e (images of the floating life) is and the common subject matters of this genre.

*Pop art inspired works-political pop *Commented on politics using culture revolution imagery *Propaganda images and contemporary logos=highlights the tension between the two worlds and value system *The grid alludes to pre-digital reproduction method which used a grid. Tying Mao to the process of reproduction suggests the kind of myth-making that built his personality cult. The red is presumably used because it is the color of Communism.

Wang Guangyi Mao Zedong: Red Grid No. 2 1988 oil on canvas China •What art movement does this belong to? •How does this relate to the political climate post cultural revolution? •What is the symbolism of the red grid and the Mao portrait?

*Extremely dense composition -no room for sky-mountain too large *Tightly woven texture strokes(all visible) -Repeated brush strokes, but in different directions, creating visual tension *No real shading or sense of volume *Mountain huts identical (not realistic) *Stylized water-has the same texture throughout-doesn't react to the surrounding objects/nature

Wang Meng (ca. 1308-1385) Forest Chamber Grotto at Juqu after 1368 (Yuan Dynasty) Ink and color on paper China How does this painting reflect the key characteristic of Yuan painting? How is the treatment of rock surface different from Song paintings? Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the composition, treatment of space and surface texture, etc.

*Reference to Dong Qichang's "The Qingbian Mountains" -Use of small, white platforms -Rock formations are more stable and less chaotic -Rounded hills and reversed "U" shapes -Hemp-fiber strokes, however shorter and less relaxed -Alum heads on top of mountains-inspiration by Juran *Locatable in the artistic genealogy -Engagement with the past -"Hand" of the artist is visible-calligraphy -Fulfillment of social obligation-bond comes from common understanding of art rather than a specific location

Wang Shimin Landscape in the Style of Huang Gongwang 1666 (Qing Dynasty) Ink on paper China What is the art historical reference of this painting? How does it reflect the art theory developed by the artist's teacher, Dong Qichang? Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the composition, rock formation, and spatial relationship.

*Continuous representation of mountains and water-revives Tang Dynasty blue and green mode but with Song sensibility *Like Minghuang's Journey... -Contours blended -Lots of shading-suggests volume -Mountains are smaller and increasingly blurry towards the back -Clear sense of space -Orderly and logical-tilting picture plain upwards -Consistent spacial recession -Deep distance-overlapping elements (mountain peaks) -Texture strokes on rocks

Wang Ximeng A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains (partial) 1113 (Northern Song Dynasty) Ink and color on silk China •Why did the artist use this particular color scheme? What is his reference? How did this painting differ from its Tang predecessors? •Visual analysis: be prepared to comment on the use of colors, outlines, treatment of space, surface texture, etc.

*Intimate format (fan)-portable art and functional object -Diagonal comp.-lower right corner -Sailboat on the left, faint, distant mountains in the back -Boatman struggling to get home in the storm *Poetry on the other side of fan -Talking about a storm (rain and wind by the river)-like visual painting *Includes the three perfections- calligraphy, poetry, and painting

Xia Gui. Sailboat in Rainstorm. Album leaf, Ink and color on silk. 12-13th century (Southern Song). China. •Please comment on the composition and format. •How do the two lines of poetry fit into this painting? What is the relationship between text and image?

*"Book from Heaven"=to describe something you simply cannot understand -The writing looks like Chinese characters, but actually none of them are (Fake characters) *Meant to be disorienting for Chinese audience *Hand-carved all the woodblocks -Printed book in traditional formats (center) -Larger pieces of paper printed with characters (walls and ceiling) *Comments on the long tradition of the Chinese writing system *The artist is frustrated by certain aspects that are cumbersome under the modern world-conflicting attitude towards Chinese tradition

Xu Bing, Book from Heaven. Woodblock prints and multimedia installation. 1988 •Why is this work called Book from Heaven? What is the meaning and symbolism? •What is the production process? •What cultural commentary is the artist trying to make?

*Literati art tradition-paintings are vehicle of intellectual or emotional self-expression-not realistic representation -Level distance, three parts (2 mountains, trees in center) *No volume, bad proportions for trees, figures, etc. -Different color foliage, no surface textures *If there's no antiquity, there's no value or intellectually stimulating *Expression and originality of scholars *Intellectually engaging *Important engagement with the past

Zhao Mengfu, Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains 1296 (Yuan Dynasty). Ink and color on paper. China. What is the artistic goal of this painting? How is it different from Song landscapes? How does this painting reflect Zhao Mengfu's idea that "A sense of antiquity is essential in painting"? What is the social function of this painting?

*Literati art: should be about expression and originality *Importance of calligraphic brushwork *Rock and bare tree=scholarly subject, represents educated man's insight into nature through mundane objects *Not concerned about realism *Calligraphy=manifestation of the scholar's character *Appropriate mode for literati art -Every brush stroke is individual, not blended or layered -About lines with subtle variations

Zhao Mengfu. Elegant Rocks and Sparse Trees. 13-14th century (Yuan dynasty). Handscroll, ink on paper. China. What is literati art tradition? How does this painting reflect the key ideals of literati art? How does this painting demonstrate the relationship between painting and calligraphy?