Japan Kamakura Period PDF

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Summary

Professor: Dr. Louisa McDonald

Notes on a small lecture about the Kamakura Period of Japanese art history. Covers the rise of a "warrior class" and the resurface of Nara-style realism.

Required textbook is Gardner's Art Through the Ages by Helen Gardner...

Description

ART 266

Japan Kamakura Period Art of the Kamakura Period ● Civil War between two powerful families ends in the victory of the Minamoto family and establishment of a new government: ● First Shogunate in 1185. New capital established in Kamakura. ● REPLACEMENT OF COURT CULTURE WITH WARRIOR CULTURE ○ New ruler of Japan was no longer an emperor, but a military leader, called a shogun. Warrior Class (samurai) culture; under shogun, the military ruler ○ Emperor and Court remain in Kyoto ● NEW REALISM IN THE ARTS ○ Repair of Nara temples damaged by civil war ○ Growing popularity of Zen Buddhism among warrior class The civil war totally decimated Kyoto and Nara, destroyed many historic buildings, which needed to be rebuilt. Despite committing heinous acts against life, the new warrior class felt that they could absolve themselves of bad karma by rebuilding temples and structures, and recreating arts of work that were lost. This resulted in the rediscovery of Nara sculpture.

STUDY GUIDE 8. Portrait statue of the priest Chogen, Todaiji, Nara, Japan,   Kamakura period, early 13th century. Painted cypress wood, statue 2’ 8 3/8” high  REALISM OF KAMAKURA PERIOD. Emphasizes Chogen’s difficult life of poverty and self sacrifice.  This piece demonstrates a resurface of realism that hasn't been seen since the Nara period. ROLE OF CHOGEN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN RECONSTRUCTION OF NARA temples.

Study Guide 10. Kamakura Period, Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace, From Events of the Heiji Period, 13th Century. War Tales With the warrior class in control, there was an obsession with the representation of war stories or war tales. This painting shows an attack on the imperial residence by one of the warrior clans battling for control that actually happened. It is a narrative painting, but also a historic one, created by the winners of the war. ● Before this period, we hadn't seen this obsession with destruction. ● The masters of this period became masters of fire. ● In the context of development of Japanese painting, you can see where the roots of modern Japanese manga comes from....