Japanese Art and Cherry Trees
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
This article focuses on cherry trees in Japan. However, the settings are dramatically different. Therefore, the respective focuses are Kyoto (above), distant Mount Fuji, and an elegant lady enjoying cherry trees and the backdrop of a Buddhist temple.
Tomikichiro Tokuriki (1902-1999) created the art above. He was born in Kyoto – and the angle of Buddhism and cherry trees naturally fuse.
The art above is by Tsuchiya Kōitsu. He was born in 1870 and died in 1949 during the post-war period. Therefore, he witnessed enormous events in Japanese history.
The Koller Collection of Asian Art says, “After abandoning lithography and working primarily in painting for nearly three decades, Kōitsu started designing more landscapes for woodblock prints (fukei-ga) in 1931. His return to printmaking is typically traced to the apocryphal meeting with esteemed print publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō (1885–1962) at a memorial exhibition commemorating Kiyochika.”
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) produced the stunning art above. Hence, the fusion of people enjoying cherry blossoms – everyday life – and the lovely landscape with Mount Fuji in the distance works a treat.
The British Museum says, “Hokusai’s ambition was to create images of universal appeal, imbued with powerful life force, encompassing the whole range of subjects in worlds both real and imagined…”
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