From around the start of the twentieth century, Nahonga art began to emerge as a major style of Japanese art. Nihonga is a pretty general term translating literally to mean "Japanese painting". Many Nihonga artist used this type of art to go against much of the Japanese adoption of Western artwork and styles, and they wanted to focus on the beauty and importance of Japanese art. "Nihonga emphasized using mineral based pigments and nikawa, a binding agent, and painting on scrolls and screens, to portray subjects like landscapes, kacho-ga (bird and flower paintings), bijin-ga (paintings of beautiful women), and scenes from Japanese culture and history." (Sieferle, 2018).
"The Spirit of Japan" - Yokoyama Taikan
This first painting, done in 1944 by Yokoyama Taikan is a piece of Nahonga art which was done in Japan. Taikan attended the Tokyo School of Fine arts and studied there. I selected this work because landscape artwork and pieces of art including nature really appeal to me. I think this is a beautiful piece of artwork that I would love to see one day. I think the use of the minimal color palette really helps this painting tand out even more because the black of the mountain pops out against the gray clouds and white snow.
"Princess Konohanasakuya" - Inshō Dōmoto
This second piece of art portrays Princess Konohanasakuya. Princess Konohanasakuya is a goddess mentioned in one of the Japanese chronicles from the eighth century. She is also known as the goddess of Mount Fuji, and volcanoes. She is said to have been as beautiful as a flower. This painting was done in 1929 by Isnhō Dōmoto. This paining was done on silk using pigment, as is typical in Nahonga art. I think that this painting does an excellent job of capturing the "princess" perfectly. Her symbol is the cherry blossom which are shown all around her, and the white color of her dress emphasizes purity. I really like this painting especially the pale pink colors and all the little flowers shown around Princess Konohanasakuya. I think travelling to Japan and being able to witness scenes like this for myself would be amazing.
"Mountain village in Spring" - Kawai Gyokudō
This painting was done in 1913 by Kawai Gyokudō. His art focused a lot on lines and coloring of his artwork that he gained from the Kano school of art. Many of his paintings focused on rustic Japanese mountain villages or rural Japan. This painting shows children chasing cows up the hill towards their village on a foggy day. I think that the mixed colors of this painting are so cool with the many different shades of green, yellow, and brown. The detailed lines and depictions of the trees throughout much of the landscape really sticks out to me as well as the detailed huts in the background, the destination for the children.
I think that all of these paintings involve using the Nahonga style of art involving landscapes or beautiful women. They all are focusing on a part of Japanese beauty and culture, such as the landscapes or mountains, or even a goddess from Japanese myths and culture. I especially love the very last painting for its unique colors and great detail that the artist used for many of the parts of the artwork. These pieces of art help me to envision visiting Japan and going to see the mountains, cherry blossoms, or rural villages and getting a glimpse at the true beauty that these artists were portraying.
References
Princess Konohanasakuya - Domoto Insho - Google Arts & Culture (no date) Google. Google. Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/princess-konohanasakuya-domoto-insho/jAGk1U2YeifKjg?hl=en (Accessed: December 4, 2022).
Sieferle, R. (2018) Nihonga Movement Overview, The Art Story. Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/nihonga/#:~:text=Nihonga%20employed%20only%20the%20traditional,and%20then%20background%20color%20applied. (Accessed: December 4, 2022).
What is Nihonga? (no date) What Is Nihonga? - Yamatane Museum of Art. Available at: https://www.yamatane-museum.jp/english/nihonga/ (Accessed: December 4, 2022).
Hello Faith, your post was very informational and a joy to read. Nihonga art is so beautiful to look at, each painting has a unique story and symbol to it. This style is so amazing due to the artists of this movement revamping the classical Japanese style. Artists looked upon their ancestors’ style of painting and showed a rejection of new western styles and techniques flooding into Japan. I enjoy the last painting very much, the colors and fog remind me of the fall time, with the crisp air striking your nostrils and the smell of winter approaching in the air. Nihonga is a great movement that continues to this day, and consistently inspires artist to be in touch with their cultural roots. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Faith, your post on Japanese art was a beautiful way to highlight the beauty of Japanese art and culture. Being exposed to the Nihonga style made me love Japanese art even more. Nihonga style of art is so unique in that the art is so smooth, lacking recognizable brush strokes. There is a sense of calm in its silky texture. Princess Konohanasakuya (1929) is particularly smooth like butter. Her skin is youthful and glowing, the cloth grasping to her figure wrinkle-free. These small, simple details seem to pay respect to the princess. It is as if the artist is depicting her as perfection.
ReplyDeleteThe Spirit of Japan (1944) is stunning in its mix of textures. The clouds cascaded across the canvas are curvy and calm; suddenly, the clouds are split by the sharp, rough textures of the mountain piercing through the sky. It shows that even during the roughest of times, calmness is always looming.
Hi Faith,
ReplyDeleteI have a fondness for Japanese art and was happy to see you do, too! I love the landscapes and the beautiful tones the artists work with. The lines always seem so fluid. Your second selection here of the Princess surrounded by Cherry Blossoms reminds me of the Cherry Blossom Festival that takes place each year in Washington, DC. They're gorgeous trees and the bloom every year, usually in April. It's a beautiful sight to see and they were actually a gift to the US from Japan. There's usually a rather large festival that takes place in the street to celebrate. Taikon's piece gives me a sense of peace and reminds me of my time living in Washington State, where Mount Rainier was visible from my home. I love how the mountain is peeking out of the top of the clouds in this one. I would really love to display any and all of the paintings here! They're all really beautifully done and emote feelings of tranquility for me.