Under the patronage of Hideyoshi and his ennobled generals, the sober
refinement of Ashikaga art gave way to gorgeous decoration, resplendent
with gold and brilliant colors, that shows the influence of the mature
Ming style of China. The leading artist of this period in Japan was
Yeitoku (1543-1590), who with his numerous pupils painted sumptuous
decorations for the palaces of the wealthy nobles. By Yeitoku are the two
large screens illustrated above. This artist created perhaps the greatest
purely decorative style of painting that the world has ever known.
After the death of Hideyoshi in 1602, Iyeyasu founded the Tokugawa
Shogunate (1603-1867). During the long “Tokugawa peace” various schools of
art developed. Koetsu (d. 1637) and his great followers, Sotatsu (middle
XVIII century) and Korin (d. 1716), established the so-called Korin
school, seeking to combine the rich coloring of pre-Ashikaga days with the
bold treatment of the Zen school. Kano Tanyu and his followers attempted
to return to the purity of the Ashikaga masters, but met with only partial
success. Patronage was largely in the hands of a prosperous middle class
who demanded something more easily understood than the aristocratic art of
the earlier periods. To meet this demand a more democratic school arose,
and many gifted artists through their paintings of popular festivals and
other familiar scenes prepared the way for the Ukiyo-e, or school of
common life. Under the inspiration of this popular school, the art of
printing in colors from wood blocks was brought to a high state of
perfection. Little original work of any importance has been produced in
Japan since the Restoration in 1868.
[Tiger, Attributed to Sesshu, 1420-1506. After a Design by Yen-Hiu,
1082-1135. Gift of Charles L. Freer]
Tiger, Attributed to Sesshu, 1420-1506. After a Design by Yen-Hiu,
1082-1135. Gift of Charles L. Freer
[Covered Box, Cloisonne Enamel. Japanese, XIX Century. Decorated in the
Old Korean Style.]
Covered Box, Cloisonne Enamel. Japanese, XIX Century. Decorated in the
Old Korean Style.