Exhibition Label:
"Nature/Natural," Feb-2011, Kris Ercums
The most memorable pioneer of Japanese literati painting, Taiga showed his talent at an early age. From his late 20s, he traveled throughout Japan living a life inspired by the famed Chinese literati saying “without reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, how can one become an original painter.” During his journeys, Taiga often climbed mountains and directly experienced their views. Mt. Fuji had a special significance for him as a place of timeless landscape, against which transient natural phenomenon demanded particular attention. Taiga climbed Mt. Fuji numerous times, each time experiencing it through different routes. This particular screen represents shinkeizu, or the “True View” tradition, based on the painters’ close observation of natural phenomena. The use of a large six-panel screen, a medium indigenous to medieval Japan, greatly enhances
this dynamic mountain view.
Exhibition Label:
Asian Gallery, Spring 2003, Youmi Efurd
Taiga was a pre-eminent master of the Nanga school, a group of artists in Edo-period Japan (1615-1868) who were inspired by Chinese literati painting. He loved to travel and to climb mountains, and several of his landscapes depict actual sites in Japan.
The left screen represents a conventional view of Mt. Fuji seen from a distance. He describes Mt. Fuji with soft lines and uses the tarashikomi technique of ink or water dropped on still-wet ink. The complementary right screen suggests a view of the mountain as if one were actually climbing it. Taiga uses a variety of dots and thick wavy strokes to depict the swirling clouds and rock formation.
Archive Label date unknown:
The literati (scholar-painter) master Ike no Taiga traveled extensively and was an avid mountain climber. In 1760, with two of his closest literati friends, Taiga set off to climb Japan's three sacred peaks: Hakusan, Tatéyama, and Mount Fuji (Fujisan). Taiga painted on commission at stopovers to sustain their trip. His friend recorded the trip in a diary and Taiga illustrated it.
His grave marker records that he climbed Mount Fuji several times, each time from a different direction, and that these experiences formed the basis for his creation of a series of paintings titled One Hundred Views of Fuji. Though none from this series is extant, we know that Taiga's attempt to understand the spirit of literati painting and capture the beauty of Mount Fuji prompted him to experiment with many technical traditions, including Chinese Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasty styles.
The Spencer Museum screens number among the many extant examples of Taiga's depictions of Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji, placed at the end (left screen), is imbedded in mystical swirling clouds. In contrast to the vibrant energy of the right screen, Mount Fuji embodies tranquility. Another scholarly opinion has it that while the left screen represents the beautiful iconic form of the mountain, the right screen depicts the physical form of the mountain when one actually climbs it.
Archive Label:
Ike Taiga was a pre-eminent master of the nanga school, a group of artists in Edo-period Japan who were inspired by Chinese literati painting. He loved to travel and climb mountains, and several of his landscapes depict actual sites in Japan. The left screen represents a conventional view of Mt. Fuji seen from a distance. He describes Mt. Fuji with soft lines and uses the tarashikomi technique of ink or water dropped on still-wet ink. The complementary right screen suggests a view of the mountain as if one were actually climbing it. Taiga uses a variety of dots and thick wavy strokes to depict the swirling clouds and rock formations.
Exhibition Label:
Asian Gallery, Spring 2003, Youmi Efurd
Taiga was a pre-eminent master of the Nanga school, a group of artists in Edo-period Japan (1615-1868) who were inspired by Chinese literati painting. He loved to travel and to climb mountains, and several of his landscapes depict actual sites in Japan.
The left screen represents a conventional view of Mt. Fuji seen from a distance. He describes Mt. Fuji with soft lines and uses the tarashikomi technique of ink or water dropped on still-wet ink. The complementary right screen suggests a view of the mountain as if one were actually climbing it. Taiga uses a variety of dots and thick wavy strokes to depict the swirling clouds and rock formation.
Archive Label date unknown:
The literati (scholar-painter) master Ike no Taiga traveled extensively and was an avid mountain climber. In 1760, with two of his closest literati friends, Taiga set off to climb Japan's three sacred peaks: Hakusan, Tatéyama, and Mount Fuji (Fujisan). Taiga painted on commission at stopovers to sustain their trip. His friend recorded the trip in a diary and Taiga illustrated it.
His grave marker records that he climbed Mount Fuji several times, each time from a different direction, and that these experiences formed the basis for his creation of a series of paintings titled One Hundred Views of Fuji. Though none from this series is extant, we know that Taiga's attempt to understand the spirit of literati painting and capture the beauty of Mount Fuji prompted him to experiment with many technical traditions, including Chinese Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasty styles.
The Spencer Museum screens number among the many extant examples of Taiga's depictions of Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji, placed at the end (left screen), is imbedded in mystical swirling clouds. In contrast to the vibrant energy of the right screen, Mount Fuji embodies tranquility. Another scholarly opinion has it that while the left screen represents the beautiful iconic form of the mountain, the right screen depicts the physical form of the mountain when one actually climbs it.
Archive Label:
Ike Taiga was a pre-eminent master of the nanga school, a group of artists in Edo-period Japan who were inspired by Chinese literati painting. He loved to travel and climb mountains, and several of his landscapes depict actual sites in Japan. The left screen represents a conventional view of Mt. Fuji seen from a distance. He describes Mt. Fuji with soft lines and uses the tarashikomi technique of ink or water dropped on still-wet ink. The complementary right screen suggests a view of the mountain as if one were actually climbing it. Taiga uses a variety of dots and thick wavy strokes to depict the swirling clouds and rock formations.
