Hoitsus Mount Fugi by Sakai Hoitsu - Essay Example

Hoitsu’s Mount Fugi as it compares to Basho’s Oku no hosomichi in regard to meisho Hoitsu’s Mount Fugi as it compares to Basho’s Oku no hosomichi in regard to meisho The two paneled screen by Sakai Hoitsu that depicts an interpretation of Basho’s Oku no hosomichi creates the feeling of meisho through its creation of a location of familiarity as it expressed through the painting, style, and the use of poetic cues. The intention of both is to evoke the feeling of the past, to bring to the viewer or the reader a sense of history, nostalgia, and longing towards home and geographic location. The work represents a feeling that can only be understood through heritage as it creates a sense of history, not through the ideologies of philosophy or politics, but through the connections made through both ethnicity and culture as it relates to place and a sense of timelessness about that grounds a people in their history. As a people of tradition and ritual, the Japanese put meaning into their artistic works that was defined by symbols that were readily available to all of those within the culture. Through the nature of this strong sense of symbolism, the people of Japan have left a long body of work that establishes patterns and belief systems about their culture. The artwork of Hoitsu and the writing of Basho are both a part of this heritage and contribute to the discourse through a connected cultural dialogue. The idea of meisho as it is described by Machotka as it refers to painting is that it represented a famous place, connecting the viewer to the image through heritage and culture. The fascinating element of meisho and its application in painting is that artistic works not only would often use the idea in their works, but in pre-modern Japan there was not the idea of creating a landscape that was not also representative of meisho. Machotka states that “Japanese painting tradition did not appreciate places from outside of the vocabulary of meisho as an independent art theme as well as it did not demonstrate general concern in realistic description of views, which would evoke their authenticity”.1 Machotka also discusses the idea that many of the visual references were close to unidentifiable, but because they were associated with literary references, poetic descriptions of places from well known works, that identified them to the basic associations that were visually available.2 Looking at the two paneled screen from the perspective of the viewer, the simplicity of the depiction is the first thing to strike the eye. There is a feeling of movement, but it is not harried nor is it in tension. There is the feeling of a journey, one that is undertaken without the need to miss the travel for the sake of the destination. The first figure looks behind him as if to observe past and see where the two have been. The second figure looks forward, the road ahead promising a benefit that has yet to be enjoyed. The curve of the peak above is delicate, yet not fragile in its framing of those who travel beneath its protection. The figural representations are flattened, only suggesting curve through artful use of line and space, the motion of the travelers not in dispute. There is no doubt that they both travel the same road, both headed for the same destination. The figures have not stopped and are not in the process of hesitating on their journey, but are in motion towards where the road is will lead. The way in which the writing is spaced also strikes the viewer. Even without knowing the translation, it is clear that there is movement from left to right across the screen. The writing is not spaced in a symmetrical, uniform way, but is staggered at different heights which lend to the feeling of movement within the work. Mount Fuji Episode from the Tales of Ise (Late 18th, Early 19th Century), Sakai Hoitsu (fig. 1) The small screen painting is inspired by Episode Nine of Ise monogatari (fig 1). The painting style of Sakai Hoitsu is considered rimpa, a revival of the style that he continued from the influences of Ogata Korin.3 Rimpa is named for the last letter in the name Korin and has a great many characteristics, one of which is tarashikomi, which done through dripping paint onto paint in order to create a blurred and diffused effect on the work. While age may have some influence on where this can be observed on the two paneled work by Hoitsu, within some of the colored areas and in the background some of this effect seems to be utilized in order to create a movement within the color of the work (Fig. 2). Movement upon movement seems to continue the theme of the traveler, the theme replicated through concepts of technique and form in order to carry the idea of the journey throughout the piece. Mount Fuji Episode from the Tales of Ise (Late 18th, Early 19th Century), Sakai Hoitsu (fig. 2) The painting is both more relevant to meisho and less relevant than the literary works of Basho. The works of Basho discuss the relevant traveling theater through imagery that is evoked in cultural traditions and symbolic literary cues so that the works create a dialogue of locations. As the narrative progresses, the geography unfolds through prose that is poetic, and poetry that is tightly constructed and provocative. The discourse unfolds as it presents a point of view that is well constructed and littered with locations that the people of Japan would recognize as significant. Because of the specific references that occur throughout the writing and the way in which it engages the reader towards understanding the space and framework of the travels, the efforts towards meisho are engaged and dynamic. Because of the dynamism in the writing of Basho it might be considered more evident of meisho. In this stream of consideration it is more relevant. The poetry that is used to create imagery of locations is specific and to the point, leaving imagery to evolve from within the weight of the construction Examples of the poetry id as follows: Surely no one Far or near But marvels to see The smoke rising from the peak Of Asama in Shinano4 This type of imagery is clearly suggestive of the location, creating the grandeur of the sight of Asama, as it is identified in Shinano. Through such type of minimal, but evocative poetry the element of meisho emerges in such a way to allow the reader to develop their own imagery, as well as to create a sense of the specific references. The poetry represents the elements of meisho through creating the sense of its subject matter, and also approaches the best forms of poetry through dynamic concepts. Because of the specificity of the poetry, it might be considered more relevant and expressive of meisho than is the artwork. The artwork carries with it the same aesthetic of minimalism that is present in the poetry. Both types of expression carry with them the same type of essence, making them complimentary to one another. From a different perspective, however, the artwork might be seen to have as much of an impact on the viewer as the poetry does on the reader. The words of the poetry as it travels over the painting create a mountainous landscape, the tumble of the lettering creating its own sense of height. The use of text in the piece points specifically to the region that is intended as the location of the work. The work is created to specifically relate geography, while the poetry is created as a larger body of work. In this way, it might be more clearly understood that the painting has a greater sense of meisho. The poem that resides on the painting creates a sense of place through its definition of the imagery, even though the imagery is minimal and only hints at the location. Because the text is a part of the visual impact of the painting, as well as a literary communication, the painting has a stronger sense of meisho than does the literature. The poetry on the piece is not only literature it is artistic, visual use of text. The text is a part of the painting, thus creating twice the impact on the viewer than only text could provide. It is a subjective thing to compare the two works, but it would appear that from a singular location point of view, the work by Hoitsu creates deeper meaning relating to meisho than does the text by Basho. List of Figures Figure Page 1 Mount Fuji Episode from the Tales of Ise (Late 18th, Early 19th Century), Sakai Hoitsu……………..3 2 Mount Fuji Episode from the Tales of Ise (Late 18th, Early 19th Century), Sakai Hoitsu………………4 Bibliography Basho, Matsuo. Narrow Road to the Deep North. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600-1900, ed. Haruo Shirane New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Lillihoj, Elizabeth. Critical perspectives on classicism in Japanese painting, 1600-1700. Hawaii: University of Hawaii, 2004. Machotka, Ewa. Visual Genesis of Japanese National Identity: Hokusais Hyakunin Isshu. Bruxelles: P.I.E. Peter Lang, 2009. Read More