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The outlook in Japan and Asia (Part I)





In his recent post on three-dimensional views modern Japan (where he critical commentary, is an example of these little-known images), Emilio García Montiel briefly discussed the role that in particular the construction of a modern visuality in Japan 明治 Meiji era (1868-1912), has the perspective (1) .

During the second half of the nineteenth century, Japan witnessed the widespread adoption of this convention, to create an illusion of depth, is imported from Europe, anchored mainly in the teaching of painting technique through the different schools and academies of Western-style that are based on the country as part of modernization (read Westernizing) that the new Japanese state launches through its project of nation-state, and as Emily says, aims to promote visual practices as part of the year "civilizing" modern.

Now, if it is true that we can place in that moment Meiji linear perspective, while new way to "see" the depth, impact in full nineteenth-century Japanese society, this convention is not for anything new if we consider the history of the circuits of production, distribution and consumption of images in stages before the Meiji Restoration .
Along the 徳 川 Tokugawa period (1603-1867, also known as Edo 江 戸) can be traced many examples of artists and illustrators who experimented with elements of linear perspective and chiaroscuro. Some of the illustrators ukiyo-e 浮世 絵 most famous of the first half of the nineteenth century also appropriated these resources to be reused in different ways. It is particularly Interestingly, illustrators Katsushika Hokusai 葛 饰 北 斎 (1760-1849), Utagawa Hiroshige 歌 川 広 重 (1797-1858) and Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌 川 国 芳 (1797-1861), who exercised considerable influence in Japanese nineteenth-century Europe, had already incorporated into their work these experiments.

In fact, no light would say that, despite the impact exerted on the visual culture and practices by relating recent Meiji imported, the real revolution in the field of images begins to take place much earlier, particularly in the late eighteenth century, what has meant the liberalization of Western knowledge to undertake in 1720 the shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa 徳 川吉 宗 (1684-1751), the flood of European scientific books, their translation into Japanese, and the development of the intellectual current known as rangaku 兰 学 (Dutch studies, European studies), all examples we serve to challenge the already outdated idea that Japan was "closed" abroad for all these years. Of course this knowledge (with new theories, optical, and images) also had a considerable presence in the Japanese visual production XVIII, known painters such as Maruyama Okio 円 山 応 挙 (1733 to 1795 ) or 司马 江汉 Shiba Kokan (1747-1818).

Finally, this liberalization is also not against the importation of European books or current rangaku , the cause of the first contacts Japanese with European linear perspective. Remember that trade Nanban 南蛮 (or southern barbarians), or Portuguese and English who settled in parts of Japan since the second half of the sixteenth century, brought the practice of painting Oil and the use of perspective, however, on behalf of anti-Christian policies of the Tokugawa government, tended to virtually disappear with a few exceptions in some ukiyo-e prints .

conclude this first part the post on perspective, inviting them to enjoy a piece of the roll illustrated Shigisan Engi Emaki 信 贵 山 縁 起 絵 巻 ( Rollo illustrated the legend of Mount Shigi ), painted in the twelfth century, where we can find elements that attempt play with a sense of depth that leads us directly to the linear perspective. We ask ourselves, is the European Renaissance was born the only place where this concern?




NOTES 1. Thank Emilio for his note that in some way "reactivated" my text production (e idea) to this blog which was half asleep on behalf of (let's blame) the imbalances arising from the holidays and the beginning of the year.