Blackburn Art History

Friday, September 11, 2009

European Influence on Modern Japanese Artists?

Ando Hiroshige Vincent van Gogh

"Ohashi Bridge in the Rain

With the trading of goods and supplies between the Europeans and Japanese, Europeans and Americans became fascinated by Japanese art and culture. Many European artists started collecting large quantities of Japanese prints. These prints were full of brilliant color, asymmetrical compositions, unorthodox points of view, and images of everyday life. Western style of art at this time, the mid to late 1800's, consisted of more classical and academic tradition. The founders of early modernism in the West were influenced by Japanese art and many of these Western artists were Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.

With the Western ideas of art concentrating more towards the classical and academic traditions, and more recognizable throughout the world, one would think the Japanese style of art would start to concentrate more towards the more academic style. But on the contrary, Japanese art influenced Impressionists and Post-Impressionists of the Western world. For example, Vincent van Gogh, studied the Japanese prints and started to make copies of them, but he changed the style of painting to have more of a Western style. His brush strokes were more noticeable throughout his paintings rather than the blending of color and values by the Japanese painters. The Japanese artists started to use oil paint, but rather than using the more academic style, their style consisted of using the oil paint to almost sketch out the figures and background. Their brush strokes were more noticeable and incorporated the Impressionists technique.

There are some similarities and differences between the era of modern paintings between Western and Eastern cultures. Both Western and Eastern painters are influenced by the other. Western painters started painting with less of an academic structure and with more brilliant colors, while Eastern painters used oil painting but used it more in a sense of sketching or drawing rather than blending of colors. Rather than one culture influencing the other, both played significant roles in the modern ideas of painting.

Reference: "Art Beyond the West" by Michael Kampen O'Riley, second edition

Adam and Eve: Western and Eastern

It is undeniable that different cultures of the world have different explanations for the creation of the world. Though the religious standards of these cultures differ, some aspects of the story ring true to have the same representation in character and art. Adam and Eve are the focal point of these creation stories, and as well as in religious script, they are portrayed in art. There are similarities in the Quran and the bible about Adam and Eve, thus making aspects of there art concepts similar.

Western interpretations of Adam and Eve

This is a painting of Adam and Eve from western cultures. The anatomy of the bodies and making them look more realistic is the main objective of this piece. The concern for ascetics in this piece pull away from the actual story. In western cultures and in Christianity, Eve, the woman, is the one to take the apple from the serpent and gave it to Adam. In this, the creation story is based on the sinfulness of the humans making this religion begin on the platform that all are sinners.

Islamic Adam and Eve

In eastern cultures the story varies and this religion, among others, is concentrated around the nature and earth that is being developed in the story. In the piece above, the Islamic Adam and Eve are colorful but flats characters of the portrait. Everything in the piece is more concentrated on the scenery and abounding natural life in the Garden of Eden. In this religion they think more about being one with nature and enlightenment rather than disobeying certain standards to forever be considered a sinner.

Images from:

http://cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx/courses/331/AdamEve/AdamandEve.html

http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/11107-adam-and-eve-jan-mabuse-gossaert.html

http://reference.findtarget.com/search/AdamandEve/

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Lion Symbols in Buddist and Chinese Cultures

Asiatic Lion

The lion is an unmistakable symbol in almost every culture. Despite similarities in other cultures, I wish to discuss the the similarities of lions in art and as symbols in Chinese and Buddhist cultures. Buddhism uses the lion as a representation of Buddha. In the Buddhist religion and culture, the lion embodies majesty, strength, and virtue. There are also mythical lions that are usually depicted on Buddha's "thrones" and they are known as snow lions. These snow lions appear very similar to the Rui Shi of China.

Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka

Drawing of a Mythical Snow Lion

Snow Lion Statue protecting the Potala Palace

Rui Shi

The Rui Shi are also known as Fu Lions and it is believed that the original model for the design of the Chinese lion was the Chow-Chow. Ironically, the Lion is not native to China yet it remains a prominent symbol of the culture. Now the reason for the similarity may be due to the spread of Buddhism to China, but for to be accepted by the Chinese Buddhism had to adapt to Chinese traditions and daily life.

Imperial Lioness Guard with cub

Imperial Lion Guard

Note the Chow-Chow's similar appearance to the Rui Shi

Citations:
"Chinese Guardian Lions." Wikipeida. Web. 9 Sept. 2009. .
"GENERAL BUDDHIST SYMBOLS." A View on Buddhism. Web. 9 Sept. 2009. .

Image Sources:

Friday, September 4, 2009

Bibi-Khanym Mosque

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque (also spelled Bibi-Khanom and Bibi-Kanyum) is located in Samarkund, Uzbekistan. It is one of the largest and most complex mosques in this area. Construction of the mosque began in the 14th century and continued throughout the 20th century. It was built in Samarkund due to the fact that it was the capital of Timur at the time. The construction began approximately in 1399. A renovation of the mosque started early in the 20th century in order to save the foundation after this beautiful architecture was damaged by an earthquake around 1906. The picture below is an early color photograph of the earthquake damage.

The mosque is appealing because of the very intricate tile designs all over the exterior of the building. The mosque is made up of many buildings and a few domed towers. The tile around the tops of the domes are in a pattern of Islamic script. The bottom of the buildings are sparse decorated with bright blue and green tiles and as your eyes ascend to the top of the building the designs become more dominant and cover most of the dome. It brings up the same idea about the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem; the closer the building grows to heaven the beautiful and outstanding the appearance becomes to represent heaven.
The inside view of one of the domes.

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque shares the same appearance at the entrance as the Great Congregational Mosque in Isfahan. They both have a pointed arch way over the door, as well as, the same symmetry with vertical pillars to the right and left. The yard of the mosque is a huge bazaar, where merchants trade and buy goods. A website that features a video of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque that contains many different angles and views of all parts of the mosque;

http://tours-tv.com/en/bibi_khanym_mosque

Images from:

picasaweb.google.com/.../g5jghwRxLD0KR5Pfl_aY4g

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bibi-Khanym_Mosque(1905-1915)

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bibi-khanym_dome.JPG

flickr.com/photos/13395150@NO7/1447312948

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Selimiye Mosque

The Selimiye Mosque is located in Edirne, Turkey and was built between 1568 and 1574. More information can be found on the
The thing that first drew my attention to this particular mosque was the attention to detail in the interior of the dome. The dome is relatively high up, but the small details are present at the very top. The design in the middle of the dome interior appears to be Islamic script in a circular design. The use of red and blue was done in a way that does not overpower the artwork, and the colors work together nicely.

The exterior is also interesting. The 4 large towers surrounding the mosque give the mosque a very unique look that can be recognized from a long distance away. The mosque is comprised of 8 large pillars set up in an octagonal pattern. The center of the mosque has a stable feel to it. The mosque apparently does not only look stable, but it is stable.

In 1913 the mosque was hit by artillery fire during a Bulgarian siege. The mosque did not give in, but only had minor damage. The damage was however not repaired in order to teach future generations a lesson. The Selimiye Mosque is also positioned in the center of a külliye.The mosque seems to carry the theme a center area as everything revolves around the center of the mosque just as Mecca is the center for Islam.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Al Kadhimiya Mosque

What is a mosque?

A mosque is a place of worship for people of the Muslim faith. Mosques can either be small, private ones or large, public ones. They are a place where Muslims can come together in mass salat (prayer). Almost all mosques have elaborate domes, minarets, and large prayer halls.

Similarities and Differences

Mosques and Churches are similar in several ways. Both are houses of worship and prayer. They differ in architectural design and decoration. Men and women get dressed up and worship together in churches, while in mosques men and woman worship in separate rooms and woman are dressed modestly. Churches are filled with the sound of preaching while Mosques are normally silent save for the sound of murmured prayers.

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque

The Al-Kadhimiya* Mosque is located in Baghdad, Iraq. The Al-Kadhimiya Mosque has several arches both decorative and architectural. The Al-Kadhimiya design also incorporates two large domes, four minarets, pillars, a chandelier, and lots of right angles. All of the arches are decorated in bright colors, such as blues, yellows, golds, pinks, etc., mosaics, and with intricate flora designs.