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The Edo Period Part Two: The Patrons

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A History of Edo Period Painting - Part three

The Artists

Joe D Price

It was an exhilarating time in Japan in those days. There was enjoyment in life. The theater boomed and was crowded by people with boisterous appetites and extravagant clothes. The red light districts prospered and became centers of entertainment. And the artist, freed of the restraints of an imported culture, developed his own techniques and chose for his subjects things of beauty and the contemporary life around him.

The training of an artist began when he was first able to hold a brush. It would continue under a master for 20 to 30 years while he patiently improved his control and gained the technical knowledge of inks and materials, until finally his skill neared the perfection of his teacher. Only then was he allowed to paint. Under disciplines such as these the artist developed his techniques and mastery over his medium to an incredible degree.

One can be certain that whatever a painting seems to lack was deliberately omitted by the artist. He eliminated everything that was not essential. Snow can even be suggested by eliminating brush strokes. There was almost no shading. Depth was implied rather than stated. Composition and balance were the primary considerations. The feeling or mood of the artist himself did not predominate; it was the inherent nature and essence of the object alone that was important.