Japanese Art - 4 Kamakura and Muromachi
Fourth video about the Japanese Art serie. Any doubt? Send me a message.
Historia del Arte:
Land of the Art:
Japanese art is an expression of japanese culture, developed through time and various periods and styles that happened in a chronological form, influenced by the historic moment, society and culture. The main manifestations had their origin in religion and politic power, being shintoism and buddhism the main philosophies.
Kamakura: from 1185-1392. The Minamoto clan was the ruler, and they set up the shōgunate. The zen sect was introduced into Japan. The period ends when the mongols, leaded by Kublai Khan, are defeated in their try to conquer Japan. About Zen-Buddhism, meditation is important. Influence from China, Zen is a union between humans and nature, and this is manifestated in the gardens.
Raku Ceramics
Sanjūsangen-dō: this temple was perfect for samurais to practise archery. Inside, there are a thousand statues of Kannon and a Buddha. The sculptor is Tankei
Most of the temples from this moment are zen buddhist monasteries, that were burn and rebuilt with time.
Kennin-ji
Tōfuku-ji
Kenchō-ji
Engaku-ji
Kōtoku-in: there is a giant statue of Buddha Amida
Chion-in
Hongan-ji: composed by two temples, Nishi Hongan-ji and Higashi Hongan-ji
Kōzan-ji: this temple is home of some objects as sculptures and chōjugiga scrolls, about caricatures with anthropomorphic animals
Sculpture is very realist. The main sculptures are Unkei and Kosho
Uesugi Shigefusa
Unkei: from Kei School in Nara, he made the Kongōrikishi of Tōdai-ji, fighter protector spirits of Buddha
Monk statues: very realist, in examples there are the Muchaku Monk, Seshin Monk, Choen Monk and Kuya Monk, this last one made by Kosho
Painting is developed in themes as landscape and portraitism. It continuated the yamato-e style, japanese traditional painting. Mostly in scrolls
Scroll of hungry spirits
Scroll of ilness
Takanobu Fujiwara: portrait of Minamoto no Yoritomo
Nachi Waterfall: the water is a kami that falls to the temple
Muromachi: from 1392-1573. In this period, the shōgunate was supported by the Ashikaga. There is a civil war. The main shōgun is Yoshimitsu Ashikaga. The capital city is Kyoto.
Tatami
Zuiho-ji
Shōkoku-ji
Kinkaku-ji: also called the Golden Pavilion, it was built as a home to rest for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and was transformed in a zen temple by his son Rinzai. It has three floors. Covered with gold in the past, it also has a fenghuang (chinese phoenix) in the top
Ginkaku-ji: also called the Silver Pavilion, built for Ashikaga Yoshimasa, that wanted to do something similar to his grandfather, but he couldn’t add the silver at the end
Gardens were developed, divided in two categories: tsukiyama (landscape gardens) and hiraniwa (meditation gardens). Among the vegetation, bamboos and bonsais are found. The garden is a space for meditation.
Tenryū-ji
Painting: influenced by zen aesthetic, and later, chinese painting. It is important to differenciate the two styles of this moment.
Yamato-e: traditional japanese painting, polychrome
Sumi-e: chinese influence painting, monochrome
There were two main schools that continued to the future periods.
Tosa School: founded by Tosa Yukihiro, it continued the yamato-e style. Other painter is Tosa Mitsubobu
Kanō School: founded by Kanō Masanobu, it applies watery-ink to traditional topics. It’s a mix of yamato-e and sumi-e, and it was used sometimes gold panels. Other painter is Kanō Motonobu
Sumi-e painters:
Taikō Josetsu: Man taking a cat-fish
Tenshō Shūbun: pupil of Josetsu, he reached the position of court painter, and then he popularizad the sumi-e. He studied the masters of Song Dynasty of China, as Xia Gui and Guo Xi. Wiseman reading at an hermitage in a bamboo forest, Landscape of the Four Seasons (3 images)
Sesshū Tōyō: he went to China and when he came back, he was full of new ideas. He improved his compositions and applied various techniques, as haboku and hatsuboku, techniques that use splashes of ink, without lines. Self-portrait, Ama-no-hashidate, Landscapes (various)
Music: Ancient Sage by Brandon Fiechter
Photos taken in Google images.
No copyright infringement intended.