Blogs

Curator's Corner

A Great Tradition Endures: Shoko Koike

Monday, March 5, 2012 | Karl Cole

As I’ve written before, ceramic arts in Japan are among the oldest on Earth, dating back to the Jomon Culture (dates to ca. 11000 BCE, flourished ca. 3000 – 200 BCE). The reason I bring up ...

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Curator's Corner

Mask for Theater: Deme Mitsunori

Monday, January 23, 2012 | Karl Cole

There are so many aspects of Japanese culture that I find absolutely fascinating; I could keep writing this blog for years! As with many countries around the world and throughout history, art is an in ...

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Curator's Corner

Aizuri-e = Wonderful: Kunisada

Monday, October 24, 2011 | Karl Cole

Aizuri-e means blue printed picture. Traditionally, the blue was derived from the dayflower. However, via the Dutch in Osaka, Prussian blue was imported from Europe as early as the 1790s. It did ...

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Curator's Corner

Mezzotints of Hamaguchi Yozo

Monday, October 3, 2011 | Karl Cole

I’ve tried lithography, woodcut, linoleum cut, and etching (on a plastic plate, yuck!), but have never succeeded as a printmaker. I would gladly do color lithography if I could have a press in m ...

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Curator's Corner

Yakimono: Sugiura Yasuyoshi

Thursday, August 4, 2011 | Karl Cole

Yakimono in Japanese refers to a “fired thing.” A reverence for nature has historically been part of Japanese art since ancient times. Interestingly, the evocation of the respect for natur ...

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Curator's Corner

Today = Tradition: Michikawa Shōzō

Monday, April 25, 2011 | Karl Cole

I’m able to trace my mother’s side of the family back to the Middle Ages in Switzerland, hence (love using that word whenever I can), I’m totally appreciative of tradition. As you kn ...

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Curator's Corner

Kacho-e: Ohara Koson

Monday, April 4, 2011 | Karl Cole

Today’s post is about my epiphany of the week. In a previous post I introduced you to the early 1900s phenomenon in Japanese woodblock prints called sosaku hanga. That was the continuation of th ...

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Curator's Corner

Three Friends of Winter: Yabu Chōsui

Monday, December 27, 2010 | Karl Cole

I’m celebrating the beginning of winter by showing you an image that goes along with the "Looking and Learning" theme for December in our SchoolArts magazine: Stories. I don’t re ...

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Curator's Corner

Venerable Painting School: Kano School

Monday, December 13, 2010 | Karl Cole

In the 21st century, when millionaires get tax breaks and people are judged by the type of car they drive, it’s nice to be able to retreat and look at art with a simpler outlook on human existen ...

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Curator's Corner

Meiji Ukiyo-e: Ogata Gekko

Monday, August 23, 2010 | Karl Cole

I always like introducing you to artists who are not on the radar in mainstream art history. I know, there are so many, so where do I start? In one of my little “epiphany moments” of sorts ...

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Curator's Corner

Sōsaku Hanga: Keiko Minami

Monday, June 14, 2010 | Karl Cole

It never fails to amaze me how certain “facts” in the history of art are true no matter what culture we examine. Fact: up until the early 1900s, certain art forms, subject matter, and styl ...

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Curator's Corner

Japanese Art Nouveau Postcard

Monday, May 24, 2010 | Karl Cole

As long as I talked about Japanese art last week, I might as well stay in Japan after coming across this gem in our digital collection. Years ago someone talked about the earth being a global village. ...

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Curator's Corner

A Fabulous Carrying Box: Ogata Korin

Monday, May 17, 2010 | Karl Cole

I came across this gorgeous little item in our collection the other day, and, once again, I must emphasize how I detest the art form term “decorative arts” (though not quite as badly as I ...

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Curator's Corner

Utagawa Hiroshige Winter Wonderland

Monday, December 28, 2009 | Karl Cole

Since we’re in the midst of “The Holidays,” I thought I would show you all a nice snow scene (as if we haven’t had enough so far this month on the East Coast). Now, I’m t ...

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Curator's Corner

Bamboo Artist: Torii Ippo

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 | Karl Cole

Okay, so I’m having “holy cow” moments more often these days! I came across this fabulous sculpture while scanning new images from the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC. I never ev ...

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Curator's Corner

Poetry as Visual Art: Iko no Taiga

Monday, July 13, 2009 | Karl Cole

I’ve written before in this blog about my fascination with LINE, one of the Elements of Art. I’ve pointed out that when it comes to calligraphy, line is not only defining the shapes of a w ...

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Blogs

Japanese art

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A Great Tradition Endures: Shoko Koike

Mask for Theater: Deme Mitsunori

Aizuri-e = Wonderful: Kunisada

Mezzotints of Hamaguchi Yozo

Yakimono: Sugiura Yasuyoshi

Today = Tradition: Michikawa Shōzō

Kacho-e: Ohara Koson

Three Friends of Winter: Yabu Chōsui

Venerable Painting School: Kano School

Meiji Ukiyo-e: Ogata Gekko

Sōsaku Hanga: Keiko Minami

Japanese Art Nouveau Postcard

A Fabulous Carrying Box: Ogata Korin

Utagawa Hiroshige Winter Wonderland

Bamboo Artist: Torii Ippo

Poetry as Visual Art: Iko no Taiga

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Always Stay in the Loop