Tawaraya Sotatsu Is One of Term Paper

Total Length: 1923 words ( 6 double-spaced pages)

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They retained the intuitively "felt placement," the perspective, the conventional stylizations of water and foliage, and the bright colors of Yamato painting, but enlarged the vision from illustrated scrolls to large screens of many panels, intended to be seen across vast spaces, indoors or outdoors. Sotatsu's special contribution, unequalled by his contemporaries or his followers, with the possible exception of Korin, was a dynamic composition that transcended purely decorative space arrangements (Tanaka and Grilli 1956).

At the center of this artistic circle, however, was not Sotatsu but Koetsu. This makes it difficult for modern researchers to determine what role Sotatsu played in the social life of Japan during this era. It does seem, however, that Koetsu and Sotatsu collaborated on a number of different scrolls. Koetsu had a fine hand that was responsible for some of the finest moments in Japanese calligraphy. His writings tend to appear on paper that is decorated with flowers, vines, trees, and deer, with washes of silver and gold dust. Such decorations serve to compliment the poetic text, although they also serve as a counterpart. Rather than directly illustrating the ideas that the poem is attempting to communicate, the artwork subtly mimics the rhythm and mood of the poetry.
It was once believed that the paintings were the work of Koetsu. Now, however, it is generally recognized that they are the work of Sotatsu. Apparently Sotatsu did the work first, under the supervision of Koetsu, who later added the poetic script.

Conclusion

While Tawaraya Sotatsu may not have founded his own school of Japanese art, he nevertheless inspired leagues of imitators and followers over the years. And while much of the artist's work may have been commissioned by or done in collaboration with the powerful artist Hon-ami Koetsu, this probably has very little to do with the fact that Sotatsu may have been his brother-in-law. It is more likely that Koetsu recognized the vast talents of Sotatsu early on, and thus figured him as a worthy collaborator. The fact that Sotatsu was not formally trained as a painter was likely seen as a virtue, in that he was free from the formal prejudices of the Kano and Tosa traditions. Today, studying his work in the aftermath of abstract art, viewers come to his work with a renewed appreciation for his skillful deployment of line in his intricate designs.….....

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