Azuchi-Momoyama Period: Non Western Blog Exhibit

Introduction

The Azuchi-Momoyama Period was an age of political unification in Japan that went from 1574-1603 (Hays, Jeffrey). This period in time was used as an age of recovery and revival and many wealthy daimyo used this time as competition to show off their wealth against one another (Hays, Jeffrey). These wealthy daimyo would commission artists to  create works of art that were highlighted with bright and vivid colors and were the focal point of the gold leaf backgrounds that surrounded them (Hays, Jeffrey). These pieces of art were typically filled with things like flowers, birds, trees, and characters from Chinese folklore (Hays, Jeffrey). There were many talented artist during this time that created some very popular and well known pieces that I will be discussing in this blog. Though a lot of the different elements of art that are used remind me of many of the European and American art that we have discussed, it is clear that in these pieces, the artists were able to make their own culture and meanings for these pieces come through to the viewer. 

Artists

Kano Eitoku

This piece is called Cypress Trees and it was painted by Kano Eitoku in 1590 (Cypress Trees). Though this painting is now mounted on screens, it was originally painted on a sliding door in the residence of the Katsuranomiya family, court nobles in Kyoto (Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu). This piece is a great example of how artists at the time connected their art to the monumental culture of Japan's warrior class that was blossoming (Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu). 

This piece contains the elements that I discussed in the introduction, which are the use of a few bright colors and the gold leaf background. The bright colors that are used, in this case mostly blue and some touches of green, create a calm and peaceful scenery since they are cool tone colors. I like how the base of the tree is big and wide because this creates the illusion that the tree is curving away from the viewer and gives an idea of how thick it is around the base. Something else I noticed that gives more perspective to the piece is the clouds and how they wrap around the mountains in the background. This wrapping around the mountains helps the viewer see just how high up these mountains are and makes the painting feel very detailed even though the good background takes up about half of the painting. 

Hasegawa Tohaku

This piece is called Maple Tree and it was painted by Hasegawa Tohaku in 1592 at Shounji Temple (Japacul). Many of the details of this painting have been lost because part of it was lost in a fire that occurred at the Shounjo Temple (Japacul). Many people believe that the painting may represent the four seasons but due to the loss of details, it is hard to tell. 

This piece is definitely my favorite out of the three I am discussing. The colors are so warm and vibrant and the painting gives me a very happy yet calming feeling. The contrast of the the cool, yet bright greens, against the yellows, red, and oranges, along with the gold leaf that has a warm tone to it, creates such a fun and beautiful painting. I do wonder how the other parts that were destroyed by the fire would have looked, there were probably so many details that would have added to the art elements that create this piece as a whole. From what is seen, the bottom appears to be the base of the tree which creates the illusion of the ground and where all of these plants are sprouting from. Something else I appreciate about this painting is how the gold leaf creates a sort of pinhole or tunnel effect since its darker towards the sides and corners and gets lighter the closer to the center it is. 

Kano Takanobu

This piece is called Meeting between Emporer Wen and Fisherman Lu Shang and it was painted by Kano Takanobu in 1600 (Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu). This painting dives a bit more into the culture aspect of these artworks since it is an illustration of Emperor Wen of ancient China's Zhou dynasty (Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu). The carriage of the emperor is on the far right and the lone fisherman, Lu Shang, is on the far left (Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu). The meeting of this lone fisher and the emperor and the start of the Zhou dynasty (Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu). 

Like the other two paintings, this piece uses the signature gold leaf background and the use of vibrant colors that create a pop to the piece. The white helps to make the figures stand out, the emperor more so than the others. The overlapping of certain details in the piece creates height as well as depth. The mountains in the background create the height of the piece since they poke out through the clouds. The man near the carriage that is layered behind the tree branch creates depth since it shows layers, it creates a sense of space between the group of people around the emperor and the man near the carriage. 

Final Thoughts

Though all of these pieces used many similar art elements to create these art works, they all have their own focuses that are still seemingly connected. I think it is very clear that these works of art are very different from the artwork being made in Europe and America, especially during this time period. I really like the gold backgrounds because I feel that it really helps make the bright colors that are used to stand out. As I said previously, Maple Tree by Hasegawa Tohaku was my favorite of these three pieces; I can't get passed the beauty that it holds and the peacefulness it brings. I love how the gold leaf stands out in comparison to the other two pieces. 

Citations

Cypress Trees｜about the Works｜Tsuzuri Project.” TSUZURI Project｜Canon, https://global.canon/en/tsuzuri/works/64.html.

Hays, Jeffrey. “Momoyama Period (1573-1603).” Facts and Details, https://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat16/sub107/item490.html#:~:text=The%20Momoyama%20Period%20(1573%2D1603)%20was%20a%20time%20when,and%20characters%20from%20Chinese%20folklore.

Japacul. “Maple Tree by Hasegawa Tōhaku.” Masterpieces of Japanese Culture, 11 Feb. 2021, https://www.masterpiece-of-japanese-culture.com/paintings/maple-tree-by-hasegawa-tohaku.

Japanese, Attributed to Kano Takanobu. “Attributed to Kano Takanobu: Meeting between Emperor Wen and Fisherman LÜ Shang: Japan: Momoyama Period (1573–1615).” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/73167.