Cypress, 8 panel byobu

color, ink and gold-leaf on paper

Attributed to Kano Eitoku, 1590

(Azuchi-Momoyama Period)

- artist Kano Eitoku created the 2 major pictorial styles of the first phase of Momayama Period

- Cypress depicts style during the last years of his life

- heavy demands for his paintings, thus he developed a formulaic style for blue and gold works

- possibility it was executed by a pupil, not Eitoku

- thought to have been created in 1590 as series of fusuma for mansion of Prince Toshihito 

- painting has been remodeled into 8-panel folding screen

- trimmed along sides--slightly distorts original view of composition

- right half dominated by massive tree, left hand by pond and sharp rocks

- unified as a whole by the gold leaf background

- elements arranged like in Jukoin paintings, but without naturalism & playfulness

- emphasis on solid, structural forms against gold background

"view into room of kyakuden(guest hall)"

shows tokonoma flanked by fusuma panels

Kangakuin Precinct, Onjoji, Shiga Prefecture

by Kano Mitsunobu, c. 1600

(Azuchi-Momoyama Period)

- artist is son of Kano Eitoku--took over main branch of Kano school after father's death in 1590

- very different artistic temperament from father

- after death revealed that he was not as artistically ambitious

- turned away from father's dramatic, monumental style

- preferred in flatter, more detailed, elegant manner 

- liked yamato-e themes (birds, flowers, seasons)

- this kyakuden features one of Mitsunobu's most successful paintings

- serioes of designs for tokonoma and fusuma panels

- commissioned for main room of kyakuden by Hideyoshi's son Hideyori

- kyakuden located in Kangakuin enclosure of Onjoji

- Mitsonobu stressed differences between various parts of the room (versus fada, who would try to unify room by illusion of walls dissolving into space, coming together as single architectural entity)

- reasserted flatness and unitary quality of individual fusuma panels

- features flowers and trees of the four seasons

- east: plum blossoms and camelias

- south: grove of cedar and flowering cherry trees

- west: flowers of summer and fall changing leaves

- north: climax fusuma waterfall between evergreens with snow-rimmed shore

- broad areas of flat gold leaf=ground or clouds, contain floral motifs w/in shallow space

- sequence unfolds right to left, unusual direction

Pine Forest--one of pair of 6-panel byobu

Late 16th century, ink on paper

by Hasegawa Tohaku

- example of Tohaku's greatest contribution to decorative reinterpretation of former styles:

- mixture of monumental forms

- subtle use of monochrome ink (no gold, color)

- ability to infuse simple plant or tree motifs with sense of tradition, timelessness

- tall trees seen as though from distance

- thick mist flows around, obscuring parts of trees

- clear that when mist clears trees will appear tall and straight

- depicts them in ghostly, apparition-like forms, likely to disappear at any moment in mist

- motif of pine trees

Fish Nets Drying in the Sun, 6-panel byobu

color and gold leaf on paper

by Kaiho Yusho, 17th century

- Kaiho Yusho trained by a Kano master but developed own style in both monochrome and blue-and-gold painting

- grew up as a monk in a Zen temple

- made screens and fusuma for nobility, Zen hierarchy and samurai in Kyoto

- Zen upbringing influenced his paintings

- this piece demonstrates restraint, elegance of style Yusho developed for bright colors

- contrast to his bolder, calligraphic style with monochromes

- half of screen shows boldly stated stand of marsh grass in bright green

- narrow band of water above marsh grass

- all set in gold leaf for shore and sky

- natural repetition of grass fronds contrasts controlled form of nets, soft indistinct flow of water along shore

- other half of screen dominated by fishing nets hung out to dry

- screens have no human figures, suggest ethereal realm far from "hurly-burly" of a fishing village

Deer Scroll (hand scroll)

Ink and gold and silver paint on paper

Hand scroll painting by Sotatsu

Calligraphy by Hon'ami Koetsu

c. 1615 (Edo Period)

- Sotatsu and Koetsu were artists most closely associated w/ revival of yamato-e themes in late 16th, early 17th c.

- Koetsu famous for his calligraphy

- Sotatsu's background much more uncertain

- 1615 Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Koetsu some land in NW Kyoto to create an artistic community

- here Koetsy and Sotatsu begin collaborating together

- create series of handscrolls

- Deer Scroll was one of last collaborations b/w Koetsu and Sotatsu

- some deer running, some standing, some feeding

- depicted in gold and silver paint on paper

- 28 poems written on scroll

from Shin Kokinshu (great imperial collection of poetry)

- 2 artists' styles can be seen in underdrawings

- one: gold paint, adepts at delicate nuances of thin & opaque shades

- other much less skilled, lays on gold paint in even, heavy strokes

God of Thunder (Raijin left) & God of Wind (Fujin right)

two-panel byobu pair

color and gold and silver paint on paper

by Sotatsu, after 1612 (Edo Period)

- likely created as a commission to wife of shogun Hidetada to decorate certain doors and fusuma for building refurbished as mausoleum for her father

- demon motif--reveals Sotatsu's interest in themes from classical literature

- God of Thunder image taken from Kitano Tenjin engi emaki scrolls

- striking white figure against gold ground, silver rain clouds

- garments in flat, solid colors 

- horns, blend of black ink and beige and green color, executed in tarashikomi technique

- source of God of Wind unknown

- placement of gods suggests course of thunderstorm--god of thunder climbing toward left, god of wind rishing, storm implied to climax in golden void b/w figures

Illustration from Yoshiwara no tei 

(the Appearance of Yoshiwara)

 one-color woodblock print

from series by Hishikawa Moronobu

1678 (Edo)

- artist generally credited w/ bringing woodblock-print art out of the shadows into light of public acclaim

- great innovation: production of single-sheet illustrations w/o any accompanying text

- ex's: Edo's pleasure district, flower-viewing in municipal garden, etc

- first print designer to put his name on his prints

- influenced development of the Torii school

- print shows interior of a teahouse

- Yoshiwara was city's primary pleasure quarter

- several  patrons sitting on floor, watching as courtesan dances

- accompanied by drum and 2 samiseni 

Goro Uprooting Bamboo Tree

polychrome wooodblock print on paper

w/ hand coloring

by Torii Kyomasu, 1697

- excellent example of artist's work

- depicts actor Ichikawa Danjuro in his role of Goro uprooting bamboo tree

- lines very calligraphic--exuberant brushwork, 

- Kiyomasu's work greatly appreciated for vigorous, forceful style

Interior of a Bathhouse

polychrome wood-block print

diptych of Ink and Color on paper

by Torii Kiyonaga, 1780's

- Kiyonaga was artist who best depicted elegant surgace of Japanese life in late 18th c.

- great master of the Torii school (though not blood relation)

- assumed leadership of school in 1785

- 1781-1785 work developed bijinga style

- this piece was owned by Edgar Degas

- Degas loved the spatial dissonances--attempted to integrate into own work

- depicts public bathhouse

- all women--implies separation b/w sexes in bathhouses

- figures arranged in asymmetrical pattern

- recess at center of composition