art history

White and Red Plum Blossoms. Ogata Korin. c. 1710–1716 C.E. Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper. Ogata Kôrin transforms a very simple landscape theme—two flowering trees on either side of a brook—into a dream vision. the image seems both abstract and realistic at the same time.  Its background, a subtle grid of gold leaf, denies any sense of place or time and imbues everything with an ethereal glow.  The stream’s swelling metallic curls and spirals are a make-believe of flowing water, and its sharply tapered serpentine contour lines angle the picture plane in an unnatural upward tilt.  the artist's intimate knowledge of how a plum tree grows can be seen in their writhing forms and tangle of shoots and branches. The trunks of the trees are nothing more than pools of mottled color without so much as an outline.  These forms and spaces appear flat to the eye.  function of the folding screen within the traditional Japanese interior.  a vi...

Taj Mahal. Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Masons, marble workers, mosaicists, and decorators working under the supervision of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the emperor. 1632–1653 C.E. Stone masonry and marble with inlay of precious and semiprecious stones; gardens. During his third regnal year, his favorite wife, known as Mumtaz Mahal, died due to complications arising from the birth of their fourteenth child.  Deeply saddened, the emperor started planning the construction of a suitable, permanent resting place for his beloved wife almost immediately. The result of his efforts and resources was the creation of what was called the Luminous Tomb in contemporary Mughal texts and is what the world knows today as the Taj Mahal. Sunni Muslims favor a simple burial, under an open sky.  But notable domed mausolea for Mughals; were built prior to Shah Jahan’s rule The Taj is, however, exceptional for its monumental scale, stunning gardens, lavish ornamentation,...

Jahangir Preferring a Su Shaikh to Kings . Bichitr. c. 1620 C.E. Watercolor, gold, and ink on paper. In this miniature painting, Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings , flames of gold radiate from the Emperor’s head against a background of a larger, darker gold disc. A slim crescent moon hugs most of the disc’s border, creating a harmonious fusion between the sun and the moon, and symbolizing the ruler’s emperorship and divine truth. The Emperor is the biggest of the five human figures painted, and the disc with his halo—a visual manifestation of his title of honor—is the largest object in this painting. Jahangir faces four bearded men of varying ethnicity, who stand in a receiving-line format on a blue carpet embellished with arabesque flower designs and fanciful beast motifs. Below the Shaikh, and thus, second in the hierarchical order of importance, stands an Ottoman Sultan. The unidentified leader, dressed in gold-embroidered green clothing and a turban ...

 Ryoan-ji. Kyoto, Japan. Muromachi Period, Japan. c. 1480 C.E.; current design most likely dates to the 18th century. Rock garden. Ryōanji is a temple located in north Kyoto, Japan affiliated with a branch of Zen Buddhism. The followers of Zen Buddhism pursued “enlightenment” or “awakening” by means of self-introspection and personal experience in daily life. The quintessence and aesthetics of Zen is epitomized in the rock garden and architecture of Ryōanji.   Ryōanji thrived as a great Zen center for the cultural activities of the elite from the late 16th through the first half of the 17th century under the patronage of the Hosokawa family. is regarded as an expression of Zen art and a symbol of Zen Buddhism and Japanese culture.   The Ryōanji garden is the one of the most famous examples of a rock garden—a form which developed during the Moromachi period (1392-1573)  This type of garden consists of rocks and pebbles rather than veg...

Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century C.E. and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile.    The Forbidden City is a large precinct of red walls and yellow glazed roof tiles located in the heart of China’s capital, Beijing. the Forbidden City is composed of more than 90 palace compounds including 98 buildings The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years. After its completion in 1420, the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. Although it is no longer an imperial precinct, it remains one of the most important cultural heritage sites   In order to solidify his power, the Chengzu emperor moved the capital, as well as his own army, from Nanjing in southeastern China to Beijing and began building a new heart of the empire, the Forbidden City.  While no major change has b...

Portrait of Sin Sukju   (1417–1475). Imperial Bureau of Painting. c. 15th century C.E. Korea. Hanging scroll (ink and color on silk). This painting depicts Sin Sukju (1417-75) as a “meritorious subject,” or an official honored for his distinguished service at court and loyalty to the king during a tumultuous time.  Skilled in capturing the likeness of the sitter while still adhering to pictorial conventions, artists in the Royal Bureau of Painting (a government agency staffed with artists) created portraits of officials awarded this honorary title.  The Chosŏn or Yi dynasty, was founded in 1392 by the military leader Yi Sŏng-gye and lasted until 1910. It was the last imperial dynasty and the longest in Korea's history. This painting shows Sin Sukju dressed in his official robes with a black silk hat on his head.  In accordance with Korean portraiture conventions, court artists pictured subjects like Sin Sukju seated in a full-length view, often wit...

The David Vases . Yuan Dynasty, China. 1351 C.E. White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze. These vases are among the most important examples of blue-and-white porcelain in existence, and are probably the best-known porcelain vases in the world. They were made for the altar of a Daoist temple; originally the vases, modeled after bronzes, had porcelain rings attached through the elephant head shaped handles.These vases were owned by Sir Percival David (1892–1964), who built the most important private collection of Chinese ceramics in the world.

Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace .   Kamakura Period, Japan. c. 1250–1300 C.E. Handscroll (ink and color on paper) It is hard to imagine an image of war that matches the visceral and psychological power of the Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace.   It also is a prime example of the action‐packed otoko‐e, “men’s paintings,” created in the Kamakura period. A handscroll is meant to be held and unrolled section by section horizontally in contrast to a scroll that is intended to be hung and is vertically oriented. The Kamakura period lasted from 1185 until 1333. It was initiated by the Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo and marked the beginning of feudal Japan and the samurai caste.  Designed to be unrolled in sections for close‐up viewing, it shows the basic features of this pictorial form: a bird’s eye view of action moves right‐to‐left  The attention to detail is so exact that historians consider it a uniquely valuable reference for this period: from ...

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) . Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century C.E. Cast bronze The art of medieval India, like the art of medieval Europe, was primarily in the service of religion. The devotee’s spiritual experience was enhanced by meditation inspired by works of art and architecture. Nataraja”—nata meaning dance or performance, and raja meaning king or lord this particular statue was intended to be movable, which explains its moderate size and sizeable circular base, ideal for lifting and hoisting onto a shoulder. From the 11th century and onwards, Hindu devotees carried these statues in processional parades as priests followed chanting prayers and bestowing blessings on people gathered for this purpose. In a religious Hindu context, the statue is the literal embodiment of the divine. When the worshiper comes before the statue and begins to pray, faith activates the divine energy inherent in the statue, and at that moment, Shiva is p...

Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Fan Kuan. c. 1000 C.E. Ink and colors on silk. Fan Kuan’s masterpiece is an outstanding example of Chinese landscape painting.  Bounded by mountain ranges and bisected by two great rivers—the Yellow and the Yangzi—China’s natural landscape has played an important role in the shaping of the Chinese mind and character. From very early times, the Chinese viewed mountains as sacred and imagined them as the abode of immortals.  During the tumultuous Five Dynasties period in the early 10th century; recluse scholars who fled to the mountains saw the tall pine tree as representative of the virtuous man gnarled pine trees and other symbolic elements were transformed into a grand and imposing landscape style. Fan Kuan painted a bold and straightforward example of Chinese landscape painting.  Nearly seven feet in height, the hanging scroll composition presents universal creation in its totality, and does so with the most economic ...