Special Qualitites of Japanese Woodblock Prints Essay

Special Qualitites of Japanese Woodblock Prints - Essay ExampleNot only were the woodblock imprints a source of entertainment and enchantment, they were also vital to the propagation of Buddhist philosophy and art. (Priest, 1959) As a consequence, the evolution of Zen Buddhism in Japan is neatly enter in this medium of art. The rest of this essay will analyze two Japanese woodblock prints taken one each from The Seattle Museum of Asian machination and the Metropolitan Museum of Art respectively and study their similarities and differences in the backdrop of the evolution of the technique. The two woodblock prints chosen for this essay are Crow and Heron (Young Lovers Walking Under an Umbrella in a Snowstorm, ca. 1769) and Two Ladies Looking Through a Telescope (Hokusai, 19th century) - from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Seattle Museum of Asian Art respectively. The Crow and Heron was created by Suzuki Harunobu and is make of woodcut print on paper. This print carries many typical characteristics of the art and cultural sensibilities of the period. Firstly, chivalry being a cherished virtue in lavishly Japanese society, the man is shown to hold the umbrella for his lover. The demureness and shyness of the lady is complemented by the glitter and passion in the eyes of her beloved. The robes worn by the lovers notwithstanding accentuate this complementariness. The dark brown shades of the mans robes align and merge with the soft white robe of the lady. The tresses and folding of their robes form a unify pattern. (Meech, 1982) Japanese woodblock prints reveal much information about the social structures and cultural norms of corresponding eras. They also show the signature styles of various artists. The Crow and Heron print shows the rise of the wealthy chonin and their interest in elegant clothes, pleasurable pastimes, and the arts, especially woodblock prints. Harunobu depicted beautiful women being slender and graceful. He did not individualize his figures, scarce presented them as idealized images without unique features. (http//www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/JP2453, 2006) It is interesting to note that the flourishing of woodprint art during the Edo period is largely due to the patronage of the aristocratic class. Indeed, the pleasure living quarters and the sophisticated entertainments they offered exerted an enormous impact on the culture of the Edo period. (http//www.metmuseum.org, 2003) In this light, it is a paradox that the Buddhist message of austerity and detachment was propagated in adequate measure through the art form. For instance, one prominent feature of this Buddhist ethos is that of ukiyo, which stands for the transitory nature of life. Both the works in discussion exhibit this case in terms of their impressions. Hence, the revelry of Japanese high society went hand in hand with the simplicity of Buddhist philosophy in shaping the rules and aesthetics of woodprint art. This contra-direction is exemp lified in the upturning of the meaning of ukiyo from transitory to that of joie de vivre. This hedonistic culture that glorified life in the floating world was particularly well expressed in the toil of woodblock prints, which made available to anyone with a bit of extra cash captivating images of seductive courtesans, exciting kabuki actors, and famous romantic vistas. For the first time, artists were inspired by and responded