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220 BCE
Woodblock Printing
Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Ukiyo-e was influenced by it, and it is the best-known type of Japanese woodblock art print. -
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Edo Period
Kano School- highly skilled and formalized painting techniques, the Kano school primarily served the ruling samurai class, producing large-scale screens and sliding doors for castles and palaces. Ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world)-a popular genre of woodblock prints and paintings depicting scenes of urban life, landscapes, theater, and beautiful women. -
Chinese literati art
Chinese literati painting focuses on illustrating natural beauty and culture with the use of black ink. The most common theme of Chinese literati painting is the landscape, which is also called "shanshui" in Chinese and emphasizes the lives of retired people, scholars, and travelers. -
View of West Lake, Kusumi Morikage
This set of screens shows West Lake appears in panorama, and there is even an observation tower on the city wall along the bottom edge. -
Ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e is a traditional Japanese art form that originated in the late 17th century and flourished from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Artists used woodblock to paint themes of female beauties, kabuki actors, and landscapes. -
Japanese literati art
It was also called Bujinga. It was influenced by Chinese literati painting and flourished during the Edo period. Bunjinga paintings almost always depict traditional Chinese subjects. Artists focused almost exclusively on landscapes, birds, and flowers. -
Shiba Kokan, Discussion on Western Painting
In his article, Shiba Kokan believes that Western art is far superior to Japan and China. He believes that Western paintings often contain rich details and can convey rich information even more effectively than words themselves, but Eastern paintings cannot. -
Tomioka Tessai
Tomioka Tessai was the pseudonym for a painter and calligrapher in imperial Japan. He is one of the crucial Japanese literati art and Nihonga artists, with many famous artworks, such as Two Divinities Dancing. -
Bakumatsu Period
During the Bakumatsu period, spanning from 1853 to 1867, Japan abandoned its isolationist policy known as Sakoku and transitioned from the feudal Tokugawa shogunate to the modern empire of the Meiji government. -
Ernest F. Fenollosa
Fenollosa, an American scholar and art historian, played a pivotal role in introducing Japanese art to the Western world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His writings and advocacy helped to elevate Hokusai's status as one of the greatest artists in Japanese history. -
End of Edo period isolationist closed-door policy
The end of Japan's isolationist closed-door policy during the Edo Period (1603-1868) was brought about by a combination of internal and external pressures, culminating in the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet in 1853 and 1854. Japan's isolationist policy, known as sakoku ("closed country"), had been in place for over two centuries and was characterized by strict controls on foreign trade, travel, and cultural exchange. -
Utagawa Hiroshige, Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge and Atake (Ōhashi Atake no yūdachi)
In this painting, the movement of raindrops with its bold, pronounced lines, emphasizing the sudden downpour. The gradient colors at the top and bottom suggest gathering clouds against tranquil backdrops. Similar to Impressionism in Western art. -
Okakura Tenshin
Okakura Tenshin, also known as Okakura Kakuzo, was a prominent Japanese scholar, art critic, and educator who played a key role in promoting Japanese art and culture both in Japan and internationally during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His perception of Katsushika Hokusai, the renowned Japanese artist, was deeply influenced by his own understanding of Japanese aesthetics, philosophy, and cultural heritage. -
Cefs-d'oeuvre des Arts industriels
Philippe Burty wrote the book Cefs-d'oeuvre des Arts industriels, evaluating Japanese prints more highly than Chinese prints or European lithographs. -
Meiji Restoration
The Meiji Restoration was a pivotal period in Japanese history that lasted from 1868 to 1912, marking the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. This period of transformation ushered in sweeping political, social, economic, and cultural reforms that fundamentally reshaped Japan and laid the foundation for its emergence as a modern industrialized nation. -
Period: to
Meiji Period
Nihonga (traditional Japanese paintings)-Nihonga artists drew inspiration from classical Japanese aesthetics, techniques, and materials, but also incorporated elements of Western perspective and composition. Artists like Yokoyama Taikan and Shimomura Kanzan were influential figures in the Nihonga movement. Western Influence-==This led to a period of experimentation and fusion as traditional Japanese art forms collided with Western aesthetics. -
Phillippe Burty and Japonism
Phillippe Burty created a term, "Japonism," in 1872, which refers to the Western fascination with Japanese art, culture, and aesthetics, especially towards woodblock prints, ukiyo-e, and Nihonga artworks. -
The case of the Painting Appreciation Society
Began with a proposal by the Japanese sword dealer Mchida Heikichi to systemically display the American's own collection of Chinese and Japanese paintings. Fenollosa took over after a few month and complete a collection of works of artists in the Meiji period. -
Vincent Van Gogh, Copies after Hiroshige Evening Rainfall at the bridge
I have thought it was touching that Japanese artists often used to exchange works among themselves. It certainly proves that they liked and sustained each other, that a certain harmony reigned among them, and that they were really living in some sort of fraternal community, quite naturally, and not best with intrigues.—Vincent Van Gogh -
Period: to
Taisho Period
The Taisho Period, which spanned from 1912 to 1926, was a pivotal era in Japanese history characterized by significant political, social, and cultural changes. Named after Emperor Taisho, who ascended to the throne following the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912, this period witnessed the continuation of Japan's modernization efforts and the emergence of new cultural movements and political ideologies. -
Kishida Ryusei, Portrait of Koya (Portrait of a Man Holding a Plant)
This painting depicts a man with a slightly melancholic expression. Through the utilization of shading, the painting incorporates Western composition and realism. However, the subdued colors, sense of balance, tranquility, and nostalgia all evoke a sense of Japanese art. -
A Panorama of the West Lake at Hangchow
Tomioka Tessai is one of the leading literati artist in Kyoto in early Meiji period. Despite the depreciation of Fernollosa and Okakura, these literati artists still found their stance in literati art.