4. Japanese painting and Western painting

Japanese painting and Western painting are quite different. I introduce Japanese painting as I compare with Western painting.

 First, I easily explain characteristics of Western painting. Let’s see from Romanesque.

Romanesque (11~12th century)

Christ of glory

 People painted pictures of bible to propagate Christianity. Churches were made, and fresco paintings were painted indoor walls. They replaced bible.

Gothic (12~15^th century)

The Annunciation and Two Saints / Simone Martini

 Italy was prosperous wall painting. And tempera painting were painted there. They became more realistic and human.

Renaissance (15~16^th century)

Mona Liza / Leonardo da Vinci

  Renaissance means regeneration of the classic culture of anthropocentricity. People paid attention to realistic. Perspective was invented and realistic human body expression was attained because sketches and study of anatomical human body were advanced.

Baroque (17~18^th century)

Descent from the Cross / Peter Paul Rubens

Baroque means crooked pearl in Portuguese. Dramatic expression of light and shadow were created. Dynamic expression was formed in this time.

Impressionists (19^th century)

Grainstack. (Sunset.)  /Claude Monet

 It is painted with the three primary colors and purple, green and orange. And they are made by short touch. A motif is close things. For example, scenery of city and outskirts were painted.

 Western painting has history and characteristic like these.

Paintings of history and myth were painted until 19^th century. However, in the low 19^th century, industrial revolution happened and people’s consciousness changed. So people got to paint landscapes. And there is other important event in relationship between Western painting and Japanese painting in the late 19^th century. It was Paris Exposition. A lot of works of Japanese art were exhibited there. Especially, artist of Impressionists were influences by them. For example, vivid color of Ukiyo-e spurred study of color by western artist who started to have question artist’s training with industrial revolution.

Next, I want to point differences between Western painting and Japanese painting seen in history.

First of all, styles are different. Old Western painting was painted realistically and there were no line. However, old Japanese painting was not realistic and there were line. (See blog of week 2.)

Now motifs are different too. Painting of history and myth were painted traditionally in Western painting. Motif was mainly got and people in old Western painting. But got and people was not painted in old Japanese painting. Japanese were interested in natural motif. Old Japanese were preferred nature. For example, Hiroshige Utagawa who is artist of Ukiyo-e painted a lot of landscape. Vincent van Gogh who is artist Impressionists was touched by artist of Ukiyo-e.

 Western painting and Japanese painting are widely different these points. We can read these differences with seeing history. But there are common points too. Old Western painting and Japanese painting replaced photos. So Western painting was realistic. And a lot of landscapes were painted for people who could not go to separate locality in old Japanese painting.

Modern Western painting and Japanese painting work on each other.

That is all in this week. Did you understand differences between Japanese painting and Western painting? Next week, I’m going to introduce traditional technology of Japanese painting. It is how to use materials. Please look forward to next blog!


reference data: 「すぐわかる日本の美術」田中日佐夫