Early Japanese Painting Styles

China, with its well developed culture, had an enormous impact on the development of Japanese culture.

The earliest painting (of a high style admired by the ruling class) were found in tombs. They were influenced by Chinese painting style and Buddhism.

The first painting style of Japan was Kama-e, which means Chinese style painting. It was the painting of China’s T’ang Dynasty.

Details from T’ang Dynasty paintings

Originally Kara-e referred to imported T’ang art only, but eventually Japan sent painters to be trained in China, and Kara-e began to refer to T’ang style art produced in Japan.

Painting by Chinese trained Japanese artist.

Left—Saicho. Right—Kukai.

As Japan began to move away from the wholesale borrowing of China’s culture, a new Japanese painting style developed, Yamato-e, which means Japanese style painting.

Yamato-e is often very colorful with gold backgrounds. It depicts nature or scenes from literature.

Scene from Talesof Genji

Yamato-e can come in the familiar Chinese form of hand scrolls that are unrolled to be viewed.

Yamato-e more frequently comes in the more uniquely Japanese form of hanging scrolls and screens

Left—Parts of a hanging screen.

Right—Hanging Scroll showing the Honshi, Ichimonji, and the Nakamawashi.

Yamato-e more frequently comes in the more uniquely Japanese form of hanging scrolls and screens

Six fold screen

How do I tell if a landscape is Chinese or Japanese?

The Yamoto-e style becomes easier to distinguish from the painting styles of China; however, landscape paintings are still tricky to tell apart.

Qualities to look for in a Chinese Landscape:

• Usually only see a part at a time.

• Wider because it is part of a long (horizontal) scroll

• Attempt at portraying 3D (tries to show depth)

• Smoky quality• Shading

Chinese Landscape

How do I tell if a landscape is Chinese or Japanese?

The Yamoto-e style becomes easier to distinguish from the painting styles of China; however, landscape paintings are still tricky to tell apart.

Qualities to look for in a Japanese Landscape: • Longer vertically because it is part of a

hanging scroll or a pane of a tall screen. • Stronger lines• Less emphasis on realistic portrayal• Flatter, less emphasis on 3D• Depicts Japanese architecture.

Japanese Landscapes