JAPANESE ART

SOCIAL ISSUES

• Sinking economy, aging society, sinking

birth rate, radiation, unpopular and
seemingly powerless government.
• An overwhelming challenge and possibly
an existential threat.
HISTORY OF JAPANESE ART
 JOMON AND YAYOI PERIOD CA.
11,000- CA. 250 BC
• The ainu people and their culture were forced
to thenorthern parts of Japan by the jomon
people (circa 11,000 ca – 300 BC).
• Around 660 BC, according to old legends and
Chinese chronicles, Jimmu became the first
emperor of Japan.
• Circa 350 BC the yayoi people invaded
Japan.
 KOFUN PERIOD CA. 250 BC – 552

• Kofun period also called the Timulus period of

haniwa culture. Haniwa is the name for a
typical kind of clay sculpture found on
thombs.
• Other known artifacts from this period are
bronze mirrors.
• In 363 empress Jingo conquered a part of
Korea.
 ASUKA PERIOD 552-645 AND
NARA PERIOD 646-794
• In 552 Buddhism was brought from china to Japan. It brought the
influence of the advance Chinese culture and new techniques
in arts and architecture to Japan.
• In 604 the first Japanese constitution was introduced. It reflected
the idea of the centralized rule exercised in China. The 7th
century Buddhism was fully established in Japan.
• In 710 the city of Nara in the province of Yamato became the
capital of Japan. During the Nara period under the influenced of
Buddhism Japan assimilated the style of the Chinese Tang
dynasty. Many Buddhist temples were constructed around the
area of Nara.
 HEIAN PERIOD 794-1185
• In 794 the capital was moved to Heiankyo (now
Kyoto). Heian period a more distinctive Japanese art
culture developed.
• Around 1005 lady Murasaki Shikibu, a lady – in –
waiting to the Empress Akiko, wrote the tale of Genji
Monogatari
• It is the first novel in the world. Deals with the life and
love adventures or prince Genji, a kind of medieval
period womanizer.
 KAMUKARA PERIOD 1185 – 1333
• In 1180 a fierce war broke out between the powerful
clans if the Minamato and the Taira.
• In 1192 Yorimato became the first shogun. The
Kamukara shogunate represented the real power in the
country until the resignation of the lsat shogun in 1867.
• During the Kamukara period more realistic and
popularized art forms emerged. The Japanese
calligraphy and the Japanese tea ceremony were
initiated.
• In 1252 the great kamukara buddha was constructed.
The huge statue was part of the Kotokuin temple of the
Jodo sect.
 MUROMACHI PERIOD 1333 – 1573
• The Muromachi period is also called the Ashikaga
period after the military clan that took control of the
shogunate.
• The history of Japanese art was marked by a moved
backwards to a more aristocratic character.
• Third shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, built the Kinakakuji
temple (called the Golden Pavillion) and its gardens.
• Around 1543 the Portuguese Mendez Pinto came to
Japan as the first European.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
JAPANESE ART
• Reverence for nature and awareness of the seasons
from the native Shito religion.
• Preference for asymmetry and natural imperfections
• Deep love for unspoiled nature
• Reverence for natural materials, clay and wood
• Tradition od rustic, handmade objects
• Periods of silence for contemplation in poetry, drama
and tea ceremony, experience slowly and
thoughtfully
RENAISSANCE ART
 CHARACTERISTICS OF RENAISSANCE

1. Realism & Expression

• Expulsion from the Garden
• Masaccio
• 1427
• First nudes since classical times.
2. Perspective
• The Trinity
• Masaccio
• 1427
3. Classicism
• Greco-Roman influence.
• Secularism.
• Humanism.
• Individualism
• free standing figures.
• Symmetry/Balance
4. Emphasis on Individualism
• Batista Sforza & Federico de Montefeltre: The Duke &
Dutchess of Urbino
• Piero della Francesca, 1465- 1466.
5. Geometrical Arrangement of figures
• The Dreyfus Madonna with the Pomegranate
• Leonardo da Vinci
• 1469
• The figure as architecture!
6. Artists as Personalities/Celebrities
• Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and
Architects
• Giorgio Vasari
• 1550
 HISTORY
• Renaissance art, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and literature
produced during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe under the
combined influences of an increased awareness of nature, a revival of
classical learning, and a more individualistic view of man. Scholars no longer
believe that the Renaissance marked an abrupt break with medieval values,
as is suggested by the French word renaissance, literally “rebirth.”
 EARLY RENAISSANCE
“There is no must in art because the art is free”
- Wassily Kandinsky

• The artist of the early renaissance period believed that

art can’t remain static, it should develop and move
forward. They examined the light, color, and space
techniques used by the ancient Greek and Roman
artist.
• Unlike the artists of the medieval period who painted
heavenly creatures the focus of the artist shifted to the
human body. Realistic expression were given to the
human figures, be it in painting, architecture or
sculpture, and the concept came to be known as
Realism.
 HIGH RENAISSANCE “ If people knew how hard I worked
to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem
so wonderful at all” - Michelangelo.

• This same devotedness to art, which

Michelangelo professes, is observed in the
works of other high renaissance artists as well,
who aimed to achieve perfect harmony and
balance, in all aspects of painting.
• Use of color and light, perspective, technical
precision, imagination and composition
 LATE RENAISSANCE
“ Where the spirit does not work with the
hand, there is no art” – Leonardo da Vinci

• Mannerism, from 1525 to 1600, concentrated

more on style or manner and less on the
substance. There was newness in the Italian art
as the artists of this period only wanted to out
do the artist of the high renaissance period.
• Mannerists used loud colors and strange
themes, they depicted humans with
unnaturally long limbs.
CHINESE ART
 SOCIAL ISSUE
• Social issues in China are varied and wide-ranging, and are a
combined result of the Chinese economic reforms set in place in
the late 1970s, China's political and cultural history, and an
immense population. Because of the vast number of social
problems that exist in China today (not at all exclusive to the
following list), China's government has faced considerable
difficulty in trying to remedy the issues. Many of these issues are
exposed by the Chinese media, while subjects that may contain
politically sensitive issues may be censored. Some academics
hold that China's fragile social balance, combined with
a bubble economy makes China an extremely unstable country,
while others argue China's societal trends have created a
balance to sustain itself
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
CHINESE ART
• Metaphysical, Daoist Aspect
• Moral, Confucian Aspect
• Inspirational But Not Essentially Religious
• Inner Essence Not Outer Appearance
• Symbolism in Chinese Visual Art
• The impact of the Amateur Artist
• Metaphysical, Daoist Aspect
- Chinese society – itself almost wholly agricultural or rural until
20th century has always placed great importance on
understanding the pattern of nature and co – existing with
it. Natural world exhibits consistent patterns that can be
observed and followed, in particular, cyclical patterns based on
interaction between polar forces (such as yin 陰 (female)
and yang 陽(male)).

• Moral, Confucian Aspect

-Chinese art also had social and moralistic functions. The
earliest mural paintings for instance, portrayed benevolent
emperors, wise ministers, loyal generals as well as their evil
opposites. Portrait art had a similar moral function, which aimed
to highlight not the facial or figurative features of the subject so
much as his or her character and status in society.
• Inspirational But Not Essentially Religious
- Court painters were frequently commissioned to depict
auspicious ad memorable events, but high religious painting is
unknown Chinese art. The main thing is that themes used
traditional Chinese art were almost always noble, or
inspirational. Thus realistic of the subject such as war, death,
violence, martyrdom or even nude, were avoided.
• Inner Essence Not Outer Appearance
- Unlike Western artists, Chinese painters were not
interested in replicating nature or creating a true – life
depiction of (say) a landscape. Instead they focused on
expressing the inner seen as “live” things, visible manifestation
of the invisible forces of the cosmos.
Symbolism in Chinese Visual Art
- Chinese art is full of symbolism in that artist
typically seek to depict some aspect of a totality of
which they are intuitively aware; Bamboo represents a
spirit which can be bent by circumstances but not
broken; Jade represent purity, a dragon symbolized
the emperor; the crane, long life; a pair of ducks
fidelity in marriage; plants symbols include; orchid,
another symbol of purity and loyalty; loyalty
symbolizes endurances.
• The impact of the Amateur Artist
• During the warring states period and the Han
Dynasty, the growth of a merchant and
landowning class led to increased numbers
of art lovers and patrons with time on their
hands. This led to the emergence in the third
century CE of an elite class of scholarly
amateur artist, involved in the arts of poetry,
calligraphy, painting and range of crafts.
 HISTORY OF CHINESE ART
• Bronze Age Art During the Shang Dynasty(1600 – 1050 BCE)
• The Shang Dynasty marked the middle of China’s Bronze Age and
was a dynasty that made great contributions to Chinese civilization.
Scholars do not fully agree on the dates and details of the earliest
Chinese dynasties, but most accept that the Shang Dynasty is the
first one to have left behind written records and solid
archaeological evidence of its existence. The Shang is the second
dynasty of the Three Dynasties Period. Legends speak of the earlier
Xia dynasty, but no written records from that time have been found
to confirm this. Even though texts written later than the Shang
Dynasty mention the Xia Dynasty, Western scholars argue that they
are not enough to prove it truly existed. Therefore, most Western
scholars regard the legendary Xia as an early civilization that existed
between the Neolithic and Shang cultures
• Zhou Dynasty Iron Age Art (1050 – 221 BCE)
• Zhou Dynasty coexisted with the previous Shang Dynasty for many
years before achieving power for itself sometime in the 11th century
BCE. Although the Zhou Dynasty endured for longer than any other
dynasty in Chinese history, its ruling Ji family only retained control until
771 BCE, a period known as the Xi (Western) Zhou. This was followed
by the Dong (Eastern) Zhou (c.771–475 BCE), traditionally divided into
the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) period (771–475), when the
country fragmented into a number of small turbulent territories, and
the Warring States (Zhanguo) period (475–221 bc) when these small
territories merged into seven larger entities, which then contended
with one another for domination. The initial Zhou capital was situated
near Xian on the Wei River above its confluence with the Yellow River
(Huang He), but a second capital was built at Luoyang in the east.
The Shang and Zhou eras traditionally comprise the Bronze Age of
China, when bronze was used to make weapons, as well as ritual
vessels, and played a significant role in the material culture of the
time.
• Daoism (Taoism)
• Daoism or 道教 (dào jiào) is one of the major religions
indigenous to China. The core of Daoism is in learning and
practicing “The Way” (Dao) which is the ultimate truth to
the universe. Also known as Taoism, Daoism traces its roots
to the 6th century BCE Chinese philosopher Laozi, who
wrote the iconic book Dao De Jing on the tenets of the
Dao.
• Daoism as a religion didn’t really flourish until hundreds of
years later, around 100 CE, when Daoist hermit Zhang
Daoling founded a sect of Daoism known as "The Way of
the Celestial Matters." Through his teachings, Zhang and his
successors codified many aspects of Daoism.
• Qin Emperor and 3 – year Dynasty(221 – 206 BCE)
• Lasting from 221 to 206 BC. Named for its heartland in Qin
state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), the dynasty was founded by Qin Shi Huang,
the First Emperor of Qin. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by
the Legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the fourth century BC, during the Warring
States period. In the mid and late third century BC, the Qin state carried out a
series of swift conquests, first ending the powerless Zhou dynasty, and
eventually conquering the other six of the Seven Warring States. Its 15 years was
the shortest major dynasty in Chinese history, consisting of only two emperors,
but inaugurated an imperial system that lasted from 221 BC, with interruption
and adaptation, until 1912 AD.
• The Qin sought to create a state unified by structured centralized political
power and a large military supported by a stable economy. The central
government moved to undercut aristocrats and landowners to gain direct
administrative control over the peasantry, who comprised the overwhelming
majority of the population and labour force. This allowed ambitious projects
involving three hundred thousand peasants and convicts, such as connecting
walls along the northern border, eventually developing into the Great Wall of
China.
• Han Dynasty Art (206 BCE – 220 CE)
• The Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) was one of the longest
of China’s major dynasties. In terms of power and prestige,
the Han Dynasty in the East rivalled its almost
contemporary Roman Empire in the West. With only minor
interruptions it lasted a span of over four centuries and
was considered a golden age in Chinese history especially
in arts, politics and technology. All subsequent Chinese
dynasties looked back to the Han period as an inspiring
model of a united empire and self-perpetuating
government.
KOREAN ART
 CHARACTERISTICS
• Traditionally, Korean art has borrowed heavily from the aesthetics of
both Chinese art and Japanese art, using similar concepts, motifs, techniques,
and forms. But despite this close association with the characteristics of
traditional Chinese art, Korean artists have over the centuries developed a
distinctive style of their own. The unique character of Korean art lies in its
understated simplicity and spontaneity, together with a feeling of harmony with
nature.
• One of the main characteristics of Korean art is its close association
with naturalism, a characteristic already noticable by the time of the Three
Kingdoms period (c.57 BCE - 668 CE) but fully established by the Silla period
(668–935). The practice of accepting nature as it is, led to a highly developed
appreciation for the simple and the unadorned. In wood carving, for instance,
Korean sculptors favoured the unaltered beauty of the natural wood grain.
In ceramic art, the Korean potter was not interested in achieving technical
perfection (in his surfaces, curves, or shapes), but in bringing out the natural
characteristics of his materials and medium.
 HISTORY OF KOREAN ART
• Prehistoric Culture
• Three Kingdoms Period (c.57 BCE – 668 CE)
• Silla Period (668-935)
• Goryeo Dynasty Period (918-1392)
• Joseon Dynasty Period (1392-1910)
• Modern Period
• Traditional Korean Art
• Western-Style Korean Art
Prehistoric Culture
- Archeological evidence indicates that people came
to Korea from Siberia, via Manchuria during the late Stone
Age. The Korean peninsula contains numerous traces
of prehistoric art and artifacts dating back to Paleolithic
culture (before 10,000 BCE). Siberian X-ray style rock art, for
instance, has been found near the southeastern coast of
Korea, along with a range of primitive clay pots and
utensils. Korean ancient pottery improved during the era
of Neolithic art (c.10,000-3,000 BCE) with the creation of
flat-bottomed vessels decorated with zigzag patterns,
followed by comb-pattern pottery (c.3,000 BCE). These
styles may have borrowed elements from Neolithic Art in
China (c.7,500-2,000 BCE), but are more likely to have been
influenced by Siberian traditions. For more chronological
details, see: Pottery Timeline (26,000 BCE-1900).
Three Kingdoms Period (c.57 BCE – 668 CE)
- Korean art during recorded history dates from 57
BCE, the start of the Three Kingdoms Period (c.57 BCE –
668 CE), during which the country was ruled by three
monarchies: the Goguryeo (Koguryo) kingdom (c.37
BCE–668 CE) an austere culture with links to northern
China, that flourished in the north of the country
(capital Pyongyang); the Baekje (Paekche) kingdom
(c.18 BCE–660 CE), based in the Kongju-Puyo region of
southwestern Korea, whose court was more friendly
with southern China; and the more remote kingdom of
Silla (57 BCE–668 CE) which was based in southeastern
Korea (capital Gongju [Kyongju]), east of the Naktong
River.
Silla Period (668-935)
-In 668, the Baekje and Goguryeo kingdoms
were conquered by the Silla ruler, in alliance with
the Chinese Tangs. This ushered in almost three
centuries of Silla culture - the golden age of
ancient Korean art. Scholars and Buddhist Monks
travelled to China to sample its heady
cosmopolitan culture, while at home the city of
Gongju was modelled on the Tang capital of
Changan. Henceforth, southeast Korea became
the cultural centre of the country, while northern
territories declined.
Goryeo Dynasty Period (918-1392)
-It was during the Goryeo Dynasty period that
Korea first became known to the Western world; the
name 'Goryeo' is the origin of the country's modern
name. The founder of Goryeo, Wang Geon (ruled 918-
43), established a new capital at Gaeseong, located in
present-day North Korea. His policy of expansion
northwards led to conflict on the northern border.
Despite successive attacks by northern tribespeople
from Manchuria, cultural exchanges with the Song
Dynasty in China flourished during the early Goryeo
period, leaving deep imprints on Goryeo arts and crafts.
Joseon Dynasty Period (1392-1910)
-Joseon rulers abandoned Goryeo Buddhism and
adopted Neo-Confucianism as the official Korean
ideology. To expedite the decline of Buddhist thought
and to transform the country into a Neo-Confucian
society, the founding king of Joseon, Yi Seonggye
(1335-1408), and his Neo-Confucian advisers,
announced a series of anti-Buddhist measures to
reduce the wealth and influence of Buddhist
monasteries as well as the aristocratic family clans that
had hitherto controlled governmental affairs. All this
led to a new elite class, the Neo-Confucian literati,
taking over the governing bureaucracy.
Modern Period
When the Japanese first invaded, traditional Korean
painting was led by Cho Sok-Chin (1853-1920) and An Chung-
sik (1861-1919). Cho was the last of the Joseon court painters,
and An the last scholar-painter. But both practised the
enervated Southern style of Qing Dynasty art, with its stress on
fingertip technique.
It is important to realize that the Japanese occupiers of
Korea made a concentrated attempt to suppress indigenous
art in Korea, by destroying paintings of Korean subjects,
closing schools of Korean art, and compelling the few
remaining artists to paint Japanese subjects in Japanese
styles. The intention was to transform Korean art into Japanese
art.
Traditional Korean Art
In 1911, the former Korean imperial family founded an
academy of painting to promote the traditional style, which - despite
closing in 1919 - trained a number of important painters. By the 1930s,
the style of Korean painting was beginning to change under the
impact of both Japanese and European influences. In 1922, for
instance, the Japanese had instituted an annual painting exhibition
for Korean artists, designed to foster a new 'Japanese-style type of
academic painting'. At this time, the only up-to-date facilities for
studying painting were controlled by the Japanese. Thus, despite the
resistance of Korean traditionalists, the Japanese tradition
dominated. Important painters from this period included Kim Eun-ho
(1892-1979), Yi Sang-beom (1897-1972), Ko Hui-dong (1886-1965),
Pyon Kwan-shik (1899-1976), and No Su-hyon (1899-1978). After World
War II, traditional painting assumed a much more modern form of
expression, as may be seen in the works of radical artists like Kim Ki-
chang, his wife Pak Nae-hyon, and Pak No-su.
Western-Style Korean Art
As far as western-style art was concerned, the main
tradition of Korean oil painting throughout the Japanese
occupation was the representational school that had its
roots in Impressionism. Among the top painters in this
category were Yi Chong-u, To Sang-bong (1902-77), Kim In-
sung (1911-2001), and Pak Tuk-sun. As well as the new
medium of oil, Western art introduced the Renaissance
concept of realistic depiction with three-dimensional
illusion and linear perspective, along with the notion of art
as a career to be pursued as a full-time profession rather
than simply a gentlemen's hobby. However, as we have
seen, nearly all these changes were introduced during the
Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945, all
Korean modern art of this period was refracted through
Japan.