Landscape art, is the art of landscapes such as natural scenery mountains, trees, and forests are the focal point for the subject. The two main traditions are from western or eastern landscapes perspectives. I will be comparing or contrasting the works of Thomas Cole and Watanabe Shiko. There are vast differences within the perspective, style and coloring when viewing the different landscape techniques. When we first view a painting we notice the visual details. The color, size, location and the medium used to create the artwork. Visual clues are important as we interpretation or understand the meaning of the work. Eastern paintings are done by emotional connections to the land using white space for the viewer to make their own connections. Western paintings are done to give the viewer a picture of nature as one would see it with their own eyes. Watanabe Shiko Landscape Japan, Edo period (1615-1868).
…show more content…
(Bonhams) This painting demonstrates Shiko's abilities. The artist has created contrast of several different styles. The Chinese are credited for making landscape works popular. Surrounding countries soon created works with a similar styling like Shiko’s landscape of Japan. This differs from Western paintings. I think it is a good depiction of a landscape through mist. The peaks poking through the clouds give a perspective of distance. Japanese artists use their imaginations to paint interpretations of nature. Western artists rely on shapes, colors, lights, and shadows to convey a scene. (Hearn) Eastern Landscape painting leaves area for the audience to come to their own feelings and thoughts on nature. Western landscape paintings usually have perspectives that attempt to accurately paint a scene so it would appear just as if a photograph was taken. In Eastern landscape paintings, painters embed their own personal feelings and emotions into the image. (Bonhams) Eastern landscape paintings usually have a lot of unpainted areas while Western landscapes often do not leave whites. To Eastern painter’s unpainted areas are as significant as painted ones. White space is valued to allow the painting to breathe and to enable the audience to use their imaginations to interpret the scene. “Areas of the white paper – voids – are always to be found in Chinese painting and calligraphy. They are not unfinished, empty, or yet-to-be-filled-up spaces. For, these voids are not actually empty. In fact, they are an integral part of a painting or calligraphy.” (Wei- Da) The audience can see a lot of white spaces and broad strokes on Eastern landscape paintings. Eastern painting uses the power of suggestion to capture the essence of objects. Most works of art have some deeper meaning. Traditional Western painting relies on the meticulous depiction of the object’s forms.(Hearn) Shiko’s painting has a lot of white area so he is using the eastern quality to allow the view to see it their own eyes. The painting has some detailed brushwork in the foreground of the tree. The clouds or mist appearing over the mountains and valley. We do not know what is between the front images of the tree and mountains but this is the technique done in eastern paintings. I imagine there is a stream running through with other trees on the side. Most of the painter views the scene then returns to a place to paint the image by memory. Western landscape paintings
(Bonhams) This painting demonstrates Shiko's abilities. The artist has created contrast of several different styles. The Chinese are credited for making landscape works popular. Surrounding countries soon created works with a similar styling like Shiko’s landscape of Japan. This differs from Western paintings. I think it is a good depiction of a landscape through mist. The peaks poking through the clouds give a perspective of distance. Japanese artists use their imaginations to paint interpretations of nature. Western artists rely on shapes, colors, lights, and shadows to convey a scene. (Hearn) Eastern Landscape painting leaves area for the audience to come to their own feelings and thoughts on nature. Western landscape paintings usually have perspectives that attempt to accurately paint a scene so it would appear just as if a photograph was taken. In Eastern landscape paintings, painters embed their own personal feelings and emotions into the image. (Bonhams) Eastern landscape paintings usually have a lot of unpainted areas while Western landscapes often do not leave whites. To Eastern painter’s unpainted areas are as significant as painted ones. White space is valued to allow the painting to breathe and to enable the audience to use their imaginations to interpret the scene. “Areas of the white paper – voids – are always to be found in Chinese painting and calligraphy. They are not unfinished, empty, or yet-to-be-filled-up spaces. For, these voids are not actually empty. In fact, they are an integral part of a painting or calligraphy.” (Wei- Da) The audience can see a lot of white spaces and broad strokes on Eastern landscape paintings. Eastern painting uses the power of suggestion to capture the essence of objects. Most works of art have some deeper meaning. Traditional Western painting relies on the meticulous depiction of the object’s forms.(Hearn) Shiko’s painting has a lot of white area so he is using the eastern quality to allow the view to see it their own eyes. The painting has some detailed brushwork in the foreground of the tree. The clouds or mist appearing over the mountains and valley. We do not know what is between the front images of the tree and mountains but this is the technique done in eastern paintings. I imagine there is a stream running through with other trees on the side. Most of the painter views the scene then returns to a place to paint the image by memory. Western landscape paintings