Abstract
Japanese painting is comprised of exciting Asian fascination when an individual view them from a point of decoration perspective. However, when an individual view them with a different perspective for instance trying to understand the hidden meaning it becomes a bit confusing. Japanese paintings have their origin from three major movements, Chinese, western and Japanese. Most old form of Japanese painting was developed under the influence of Japanese culture and with time new Japanese styles emerged. However, Chinese culture continued to be influence art work in Japan until the start of Edo period (1603- 1867). Asai Chu was a renowned Japanese artist who established western way of art design in 19th and early 20th century. He trained in art work at Technical Fine Arts School under Antonio Fontanesi an employee of Meiji government. Antonio had been appointed to bring western oil painting to Japan. Hashimoto Sadhide a renowned Japanese painter born in 1807 and he died in 1878; the painter lived in the city of Yokohama which was known to be a western settlement. Most of her painting were based on western culture as opposed to those of Asai Chu who mostly dwelt encouraged on painting of related to Japanese culture. The objective of this essay is to compare how Asai Chu and Hashimoto treated peasant class and servant of lower blacks through paintings. The records of Japanese art are an extensive history of synthesis and contest among local Japanese. Their aim is to adapt imported ideas in order to improve on their local forms painting; combination of local ideas with imported ones makes their paintings outstanding when compared with others.
Japanese Painters
Introduction
Painting involves the application of paint or pigment on a surface; it is an art that explains the act and the outcome. The act and the outcome is what we often refer to as painting in this discipline. Japanese painting is comprised of exciting Asian fascination when an individual view them from a point of decoration perspective. However, when an individual view them with a different perspective for instance trying to understand the hidden meaning it becomes a bit confusing. Japanese paintings have their origin from three major movements, Chinese, western and Japanese. Most old form of Japanese painting was developed under the influence of Japanese culture and with time new Japanese styles emerged (Weisenfeld 81). However, Chinese culture continued to be influence art work in Japan until the start of Edo period (1603- 1867). Japanese painting is among the oldest and most renowned form of Japanese arts and it includes several forms of genre and techniques. The records of Japanese art are an extensive history of synthesis and contest among local Japanese. Their aim is to adapt imported ideas in order to improve on their local forms of painting; combination of local ideas with imported ones makes their paintings outstanding when compared with others. During the 19th century, Japanese paintings greatly impacted on various types of paintings from the western countries, notably France. Asai Chu paintings are considered to be some of the most powerful forms of paintings; he discouraged western culture and wanted Japanese to stick on their indigenous culture (Weisenfeld 110).Nonetheless, there have been very hot debates about them, why he had so much hatred on the western culture. Hashimoto Sadhide a renowned Japanese painter born in 1807 and he died in 1878; the painter lived in the city of Yokohama which was known to be a western settlement. Hashimoto produced paintings based on the western culture; they portrayed present issues affecting westerners in Japan. Both Sadahide and Asai Chu paintings had political and social influence, on few occasions peasants were compelled to demand for their rights. Their painting portrayed the difficulties experienced by the peasants and lower blacks; they both campaigned for elevation of this class of people. They expressed the importance of regulating way of governance, a political system that treated peasants similar with other affluent classes of people. Some people disagreed with messages depicted by the paintings and claimed that it was just a mere discrimination. The essay seeks to compare how Asai Chu and Hashimoto treated peasant class and servant of lower blacks through paintings.
Asai Chu was a renowned Japanese artist who established western way of art design in 19th and early 20th century. He trained in art work at Technical Fine Arts School under Antonio Fontanesi an employee of Meiji government. Antonio had been appointed to bring western oil painting to Japan. In 1902 Asai resigned as a professor and travelled to France where he continued to refine his skills in art work at impressionist school. When he returned to Japan his work did not change as continued with training of students who became eminent in Japanese art. However, apart from art work he also started tutoring in poet and western styles of art. Some of his paintings show peasants working in the farm for instance in 1890 he produced an oil painting of peasants while harvesting. This clearly portrays life of peasant in Japan, the farming activities and hardships they went through while in the farm field. Asai Chu developed a great interest in oil painting which he also influenced his students.
During the reign of the Meiji dynasty in Japan, the country went through an incredible political and societal adjustment; this was during the time of westernization and transformation campaign headed by the Meiji government. During the reign of the Meiji government, artwork was divided into two categories; the conventional indigenous styles and the modern style. For instance Asai Chu produced a painting illustrating japans lifestyle of peasant farmers in 1890 the painting was referred to as Harvest (収穫, Shukaku. The attire of the peasant such the caps and the aprons can be clearly seen, the caps are hut like in order to protect them from scorching sun. The Meiji government was very instrumental in the promotion of modern painting styles. In this case, young and upcoming artists obtained government scholarships to study art abroad. In addition, the government also made the effort of hiring professional artists who were charged with the responsibility of ensuring that an art syllabus was developed for Japanese schools.
However, in a short while the modern styles (Nihoga) received a lot of criticism and as a result, indigenous forms of art became more predominant. By 1880 the Western forms of art was banned; these styles were not to be used in official displays. Japanese painters wanted to develop paintings based on their culture as opposed to the use of paintings depicting foreign culture (Keene 90). Okakura, a Japanese scholar, contributed greatly to the development of Japanese art. He criticized the western style of art during the Meiji period. He carried out a thorough study on Japan’s indigenous art and presented the world with a picture of Japan’s opposition to the western culture. He objected to any Japanese who struggled to adopt the western powers; he did this by forfeiting other Asian nations in the Russo-Japanese War. The development of traditional arts helped many artists to gain knowledge on how to create different arts that conveyed particular messages to the public . Some artists were able to elaborate on issues concerning the peasant class and servants/ lower blacks in their paintings. The paintings had both explicit and hidden meanings on how peasant and the lower blacks were being treated.
Styles and colors of the clothing worn by the peasants and low class people depicted their distinct class. The paintings captured the type of clothing and the surrounding environment; the colors had to reflect earthy nature of where the peasants used to work. In some of these paintings, the desperate nature of peasant and lower blacks was portrayed while others emphasized on the cultural importance of farming activities carried out by Japanese peasants. Peasant had no one to listen to their grievances, they a totally difficult life. Working conditions were poor authorities considered them as slaves and this is also portrayed in the paintings of both Hashimoto Sadahide and Asai Chu. For example Yahan-o Haisen –Cho painting by Asai Chu shows a peasant woman lying down in despair and tiredness. This was a representation of what many peasants and other people of low social class were going through in Japan. Asai Chu had a general hatred for foreigners whose reasons are not indicated in the text (Miyoshi 89). This may explain why his life did not change after he went to France; he only developed his painting career to better levels which made him to influence many of his students.
During the mid- 19th century, paintings which showed the peasants’ turmoil because of a food crisis and poverty were predominant. Different artists used different styles of conveying this message through painting, the painting also showed the different levels of peasants. For instance, dragging gown a painting of a medieval dignified female and the peasant female portrays two figures in worlds apart. The medieval dignified lady painting is decent she looks brilliant and happy while the peasant woman painting is dull. In a later painting, the woman looks desperate and humiliated, thereby giving a clear explanation of the roles of women of different ranks. The noble woman played a fundamental role in effectively running of her husband’s estates. She ensured that everything went on well by defending what rightfully belonged to the family and guiding the staff in the running of the daily activities. The peasant woman lacked distinct roles in her family which could be due to the existing negative perception of women in the society.
Hashimoto Sadhide was a renowned Japanese painter, born in 1807 and he died in 1878; the painter lived in the city of Yokohama which was known to be a western settlement region. Most of his paintings were based on western culture as opposed to those of Asai Chu. His paintings were mostly on present ideas of westerners who were living in Japan in earlier times. These painting showed the kind of life that westerners led terrible experiences that they went through while in foreign land. Some foreigners who worked in the farm were denied permission to have their spouses live with them in Japan. Painting which portrayed low social class of peasant characterized his paintings; foreigners were rejected and they were treated with little or no respect. The clothing of the peasant is different from others who are considered better than for other people who held higher ranks. The clothes differed in terms of content, fashion and also color, thereby acting as a point of differentiation between the two groups.
Peasant women used to dye their wool in common dyes which were easily found in the countryside. In his paintings peasant clothes were close to the color of the soil and exceptionally bright colors such as red and yellow were avoided (Penelope 114). The poorest class of peasants also had their own color of painting; the mostly used was grey and buffs colors. Discrimination of the blacks, peasants and people of low class was evident they appeared gloomy, most seemed to be mourning because of their poor state. Peasant clothes were simple, the painting kept off fashion and bright colors black and other dull colors were commonly used. Over interpretation of his work was considered as a form of discrimination for peasant class of people (Van 98). Peasants were mobilized to protest against these paintings by opinion leaders who pretended to help peasant in demanding for their rights. One of the best known paintings of Hashimoto Sadahide is the Yokahama’s landscape which indicated characteristics of daily life and business of Japan in the 19th century (Leed 75). This clearly indicated the kind of life led by the people of different social classes; natives lived a decent life whereby they went for decent jobs. On the other hand foreigners/ blacks life was full of miseries they took jobs mostly in the farms and they were poorly paid.
Comparison
Both Hashimoto and Asai Chu paintings depicts the low social class of blacks and peasants in Japan. Natives were favored at the expense of foreigners, foreigners notably blacks were the ones who worked in the farms as peasant. They used paintings which showed the poor state of the peasants, they had no one to listen to their problems, their working environment is chaotic. Paintings display the major differences that existed among people of various social classes notably the natives/ Japanese and foreigners/ blacks who mostly worked in the farms. A close relation on the message being put across by Sadahide and Asai Chu paintings exist they both explain the desperate life led by the peasants and lower black. In Sadahide paintings the picture of Mevrouw Cock who lived in Japan against the wish of the Japanese authorities, her husband had struggled so that she can be given permission in vain. The presence of a foreign woman in Japan was considered to be scandalous and she went back to Netherlands where she died without having seen her husband. Painting which portrayed low social class of peasant characterized his painting (Harvest (収穫, Shukaku and Yahan-o Haisen –Cho) foreigners were rejected and treated with little or no respect at all. The clothing of the peasant is different from others who are considered better than for other people who held higher ranks. The clothes differed in terms of content, fashion and also color, thereby acting as a point of differentiation between the two groups. Asai Chu produced a painting illustrating japans lifestyle of peasant farmers in 1906. The attire of the peasant such the caps and the aprons can be clearly seen, the caps are hut like in order to protect them from scorching sun.
Conclusion
Current Japanese styles of paintings were developed from three major movements, western, Chinese and Japanese. Painting is an interesting field whereby artists use paintings to convey specific information to the public. Sadahide was passionate with the peasant; he did not like the kind of life they led. This passion compelled him to elevate them from their present form of life to better living conditions through his paintings. Asai Chu upheld Japanese culture; his interest in peasant farmers coerced him to change their class through his paintings. The records of Japanese art are an extensive history of synthesis and contest among local Japanese. Their aim is to adapt imported ideas in order to improve on their local forms of painting; combination of local ideas with imported ones makes their paintings outstanding when compared with others. Japanese painting has had great influence on different forms of western paintings especially in France in the era of 19th century. Sadahide and Asai Chu paintings portrayed the desperate life led by the peasants and lower black. However, the main aim of their paintings was to elevate peasant and lower blacks from their current status to more decent life. They recognized the work role of peasant and lower blacks in Japan, though they experienced difficulties at some point these painters acknowledged them through their painting. Painting of peasant and lower black could probably trigger the wider public to promote peasants and lower blacks in Japan. Most Japanese paintings were based on the traditional arts; western art still existed though there was so much critique of messages put across by different paintings. Both Sadahide and Asai Chu paintings had political and social influence, on few occasions peasants were compelled to demand for their rights. Hence these painting helped to make their lives better since they could demand for their rights to decent life. Other people disagreed with messages depicted by the paintings and claimed that it was just a mere discrimination which elicited debate from different opinion leaders.
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