: A major survey of Japanese paintings by master artists from the
Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century opens at Japan Society
Gallery - its exclusive East Coast venue - on March 9.
"An Enduring Vision: Seventeenth to Twentieth Century Japanese
Painting from the Gitter-Yelen Collection" features nearly 100
works from one of the top collections of Japanese painting in the
United States and will remain on view through June 20.
"An Enduring Vision" provides a comprehensive over view of
Japanese paintings from six major artistic schools and styles
spanning Japan's Edo (1615-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods.
Featuring an extraordinary collection of hanging scrolls, folding
screens and albums, the exhibition presents the achievements of
highly innovative and boldly eccentric painters who
revolutionized the traditions of Japanese painting in the
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries and established the
foundation for such early modern practices as naturalism, realism
and individual expressionism.
Whereas works of the official painting academies that served the
court and military elite are well known abroad, this exhibition
focuses on works by non-official artists - independent artists
who painted for the growing art market of the urban population,
or simply for their own enjoyment. These experimental artists
created new forms of expression that both challenged and
contributed to the rich traditions of East Asian painting.
"This exhibition is the first major survey of Japanese painting
in more than two decades in New York City, and confirms the
brilliant achievements and vitality of individual artists in
pre-modern Japan," said Alexandra Munroe, society vice president
of arts and culture and Japan Society gallery director. "This
exhibition is especially timely now that Japan Society is
approaching its 100th anniversary, perfectly complementing our
ongoing mission to illuminate Japan's rich artistic, historical
and cultural legacy for American audiences."
Organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art, "An Enduring Vision"
features both representational and abstract works, including
depictions of flora and fauna, meditative mountain landscapes,
animated scenes from city life, elegant and colorful portraits
and bold calligraphy.
The exhibition is organized into six sections based on style or
school. Focuses around the work of master artists and key
innovators, each section presents a chronological view of a style
or school's evolution, from its early Edo period origins to its
expression in the works of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century
painters.
Nanaga, or painting of the literati, evolved from a renewed
interest in Chinese culture during the Edo period, particularly
the ideal of the scholar-poet who immerses himself in nature and
paints freely for his own enjoyment and self-cultivation.
Included in this section are works by the two greatest early
Nanga masters, the prolific and innovative Ike Taiga (1723-1776)
and the poet/painter Yosa Buson (1716-1783). Works by Uragami
Gyokudo (1745-1820), Tani Buncho (1763-1840), Taki Katei
(1830-1901) and others show the continuation and development of
the Nanga form in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.
The realist painting Maruyama-Shijo School is derived from the
work of Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795), who pioneered a naturalistic
style within the parameters of Japanese tradition. Followers such
as Matsumura Goshun (1752-1811), who studied under Buson of the
Nanga school; Komai Genki (1747-1797); Shibata Zeshin
(1807-1891); Hasegawa Gyokuho (1822-1879); and Takeuchi Seiho
(1864-1942) created their own forms of lyrical realism, sometimes
incorporating elements of Western art into their carefully
observed sketches from nature and daily life.
The Tinpa tradition is characterized by naturalism within a
highly decorative aesthetic. Patronized by the wealthy
townspeople of Kyoto, the decorative Rinpa style was developed by
the innovative painter Tawaraya Sotatsu (active circa 1600-1640)
and the great calligrapher Hon'ami Koetsu (1558-1637), who
together revived and redefined the classical union between poetry
and visual art. Evocative depictions of flowers and plants
isolated in abstract compositions are seen in the work of
Watanabe Shiko (1683-1755), Nakamura Hochu (died 1819) and
others. Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828) and his principal student Suzuki
Kiitsu (1796-1858) brought the Rinpa style to Edo (modern day
Tokyo), while Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) was a prime figure in
the Kyoto Rinpa resurgence of the early Twentieth Century.
Daily life in the urban centers of the Edo period was the subject
of two related styles of popular painting. Genre scenes
celebrated the peace and prosperity of the realm, featuring
detailed cityscapes of famous places, street festivals,
commercial and entertainment districts and the daily hustle and
bustle of city life. Similarly, Ukiyo-e "pictures of the floating
world." presented an idealized vision of the exuberant world of
the pleasure and entertainment districts. Courtesans and actors
were the stars of paintings by such Ukiyo-e masters as Chobunsai
Eishi (1756-1829), Teisai Hokuba (1771-1844) and Utagawa Kunisada
(1786-1864).
Continuing and revitalizing an artistic tradition dating back to
the Fourteenth Century, Zen Buddhist monks in the Edo period
created Zenga, or Zen paintings, using ink brushes to create
expressive monochrome works. Zenga was often used as visual aids
by Zen masters to communicate Buddhist teachings to students and
followers. The revered priest and painter Hakuin Ekaku
(1685-1768) created powerful paintings of great subtlety and wit.
Later Zen painters such as Sengai Gibon (1750-1837) and Nakahara
Nantenbo (1839-1925 maintained the vibrant spontaneity of the Zen
idiom in playful yet poignant works.
Three distinctive Kyoto artists of the Eighteenth Century cannot
be readily assigned to any of the other prominent painting
traditions and are grouped as the great "individuals" or
"eccentrics" of their day. Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800) was a prolific
painter who mastered all formats, from colorful, highly detailed
depictions of animals to the elegantly spare ink-monochrome works
featured in this exhibition. Soga Shohaku (1730-1781), a
flamboyant and fiercely independent artist who consciously
resisted the professional painting world, created edgy,
idiosyncratic and haunting paintings. Nagasawa Rosetsu
(1754-1799) studied under Okyo, but infused wry humor and Zen
references into his dramatic and deftly rendered compositions.
The collection of Dr Kurt A. Gitter and Alice Rae Yelen,
assembled over the past 35 years, continues to expand,
emphasizing significant developments in Japanese painting by
highlighting the achievements of master artists and brilliant
eccentrics. The collection is currently housed in the
Gitter-Yelen Art Study Center in New Orleans, La. "An Enduring
Vision" marks the first time that the collection has been
presented to New York audiences.
A variety of programs and lectures accompany the exhibition. For
information and tickets, www.japansociety.org or 212-752-3015.
A 320-page book accompanies the exhibition. Authored by guest
curator Tadashi Kobayashi, professor of art history at Gakushuin
University and director of the Chiba Art Museum and edited by
Lisa Rotondo-McCord, New Orleans Museum of Art curator of Asian
art and exhibition, coordinator, the book also includes
contributions by Kurt Gitter, Stephen Addis, Patricia Fister,
Patricia J. Graham, Johei Sasaki, James T. Ulak, Masatomo Kawai,
Motoaki Kono, John T. Carpenter, Paul Berry, Christine M.E. Guth
and Junko Kamata.
Japan Society is at 333 East 47th Street, between First and
Second Avenues. Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 am-6 pm, Saturday
and Sunday, 11 am-5 pm. Admission is $5.
