![\"\"](\"\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/34de962b459a29897d9ef15103f537a4-6.jpg\")
The Tales of Ise,<\/em> a 10th century collection of waka poems, provided inspiration to countless artists, in particular the scene at Yatsuhashi Bridge, one of its most famous passages. In the 18th century, two remarkably gifted brothers, Ogata Korin and Ogata Kenzan, took on the theme. In the scene, the central character has left Kyoto, the capital city, and composes a poem while stopping by a bridge surrounded by iris marshes. Korin chose an elegant, descriptive approach while his younger brother Kenzan applies a more abstract and bold treatment, leaving out the figures and focusing on the bridge and the irises. His work also includes the presence of calligraphy, consisting of characters scattered around the paper that allude to the poem written by the tale\u2019s protagonist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The inclusion of script on the painting might be surprising to some viewers, yet this is a distinctive trait of Japanese art. Across the centuries poems have been transcribed onto beautiful decorative paper, the characters forming a refined ornamental scheme along with motifs taken from nature, or sumptuous additions of gold and silver. In the 10th century, there existed a fashion for affixing poems to the surface of folding screens, to complement the painted landscape and express one\u2019s appreciation for it. Calligraphy is a form of art that can perhaps be difficult to comprehend for Western visitors, but it is rewarding to take the time to look at it in detail and notice the different styles and the energy of the brushwork. Thin or thick, elegant or bold, the brushstrokes are believed to reflect the character and mood of the calligrapher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally an enigmatic composition dated 1839\nby Katsushika Hokusai, better known for his woodblock prints, is a remarkable –\nand notably refreshing – illustration of a more unexpected streak in Japanese\nart. Two paper-thin rinds of watermelon hang from a rope like ribbons, placed\nabove a fruit cut in two, a kitchen knife resting on its vibrantly coloured juicy\nflesh covered by a translucent piece of paper. What is the subject? Maybe it\nrelates to haiku poetry, in which watermelons can refer to the star festival\ncelebrated on 7th July, but nothing is sure. Dated 1839, the work was painted when\nthe artist was 80. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This exhibition afforded the opportunity to\nsee masterpieces rarely on view, due to their fragility (which requires long\nperiods away from light exposure) and their prestigious provenance. Panels\nprovided detailed information in four languages, making the event not only attractive\nbut also truly accessible for international visitors. When I went to the\nexhibition however, I noticed that only Japanese visitors were present. I therefore\nwarmly encourage all art lovers to seek out and visit the upcoming exhibitions\norganised by the Tsumugu Project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Sophie Richard The \u201cMasterpieces of Japanese Art: From Sesshu and Eitoku to Korin and Hokusai\u201d (May 3 \u2013 Jun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[407],"tags":[55,58,470,84],"class_list":["post-704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-kano_eitoku","tag-katsushika_hokusai","tag-sophie_richard","tag-tokyo_national_museum"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/34de962b459a29897d9ef15103f537a4-8.jpg\")
Hokusai\u2019s enigmatic composition<\/h5>\n\n\n\n