Japan Art and Cherry Trees
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
All three art pieces focus on cherry trees. Hence, above is a delightful print by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), who creates a stunning landscape. In the backdrop is Mount Fuji from a distance.
The British Museum says, “Hokusai is often categorised as an artist of the Floating World (ukiyo), a reference to the Edo period’s (1615–1868) distinctive world of the theatre, pleasure quarters and popular culture. But he was much more. He was a sympathetic observer of contemporary society, a synthesiser of East Asian and European painting techniques, and a teacher who shared his joy as an artist in dozens of manuals on drawing and painting.”
The art piece above is by Tomikichiro Tokuriki (1902-1999). He was born in the cultural city of Kyoto. Therefore, it is easy to imagine Tokuriki being inspired by Ise, Kyoto, Koyasan, Nara, Negoro-ji, and the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage that blesses this part of Japan.
The British Museum says, “…he changed to woodblock printing under the influence of Hiratsuka Un’ichi and began to contribute to the early print magazine ‘Han’. He was a member of Nihon Hanga Kyokai from 1932, and active in promoting ‘Sosaku Hanga’ in Kyoto.”
Toshikata Mizuno (1866-1908) was born in the final years of the Edo Period. Accordingly, Mizuno belongs to the Meiji Period (1868-1912) of Japanese history.
Above, he produces a stunning print fusing a stylish lady and cherry trees. The result is pleasing to the eye. Also, the fashion angle is a lovely dimension.
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