The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Peach Blossom Spring, the Chinese prose by Tao Yuan-ming(372-427) was visualized in the East Asian paintings, and how the Chinese Peach Blossom Paintings has been accepted in Japanese Art.
Peach Bloss...
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Peach Blossom Spring, the Chinese prose by Tao Yuan-ming(372-427) was visualized in the East Asian paintings, and how the Chinese Peach Blossom Paintings has been accepted in Japanese Art.
Peach Blossom Spring paintings can be divided in three ways: First is to have a narrative style that represents the whole story. Second alternative is to choose few parts of the whole story. Finally, there is the symbolic method where one image of the whole story is represented and which alludes the viewer to imagine the whole story. This thesis will focus on the narrative version of Peach Blossom Spring paintings that discusses in detail, within the context of the prose that represent it on paintings.
To take one notable example of this narrative version, are the works of Qiu Ying who was active in the Ming Dynasty(1506-1566). He is famous for his blue and green style, which is the proper method for the statement of the utopian world. Tani Buncho(1763-1840), labeled as the most prominent literati painter in Edo period in Japan, imitated Qiu Yings version.
Both Qiu Ying’s and Buncho’s Peach Blossom Spring can be divided into seven scenes: (1) Following the Peach Blossom River (2) Entering the Cave (3) The Rich field (4) Where do you come from? (5) Listening to Chicken and Dogs (6) Invitation (7) Leaving Peach Blossom World. While Buncho followed Qiu Ying’ s Peach Blossom Spring, he shows his unique statement in the first and last scene of his painting. In the first scene, Buncho represented hills and mountains, which he learned from the western paintings. In the last part, Buncho reversed the whole story of Peach Blossom Spring dramatically. In the original story, the fisherman could not return to the utopian world of Peach Blossom Spring after leaving it. Qiu Ying remained faithful to this ending and finished his paintings this way. However, with Buncho s painting the fisherman is able to return to the Peach Blossom Spring world. Additionally, Buncho uses brighter cobalt blue than Qiu Ying following the rule of blue and green paintings.
In conclusion, the narrative style of Peach Blossom Spring shows every scene of the story. Tani Buncho’ s Peach Blossom Spring shows how Japanese literati artists, in the Edo period, understood the Chinese paintings as well as the way they expressed their own interpretation of it.