Zen paintings in Edo Japan (1600-1868) : playfulness and freedom in the artwork of Hakuin Ekaku and Sengai Gibon

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Bibliographic Information

Zen paintings in Edo Japan (1600-1868) : playfulness and freedom in the artwork of Hakuin Ekaku and Sengai Gibon

Galit Aviman

Ashgate, c2014

  • : hardcover

Available at  / 8 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [155]-160) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

In Zen Buddhism, the concept of freedom is of profound importance. And yet, until now there has been no in-depth study of the manifestation of this liberated attitude in the lives and artwork of Edo period Zen monk-painters. This book explores the playfulness and free-spirited attitude reflected in the artwork of two prominent Japanese Zen monk-painters: Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768) and Sengai Gibon (1750-1837). The free attitude emanating from their paintings is one of the qualities which distinguish Edo period Zen paintings from those of earlier periods. These paintings are part of a Zen ink painting tradition that began following the importation of Zen Buddhism from China at the beginning of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). In this study, Aviman elaborates on the nature of this particular artistic expression and identifies its sources, focusing on the lives of the monk-painters and their artwork. The author applies a multifaceted approach, combining a holistic analysis of the paintings, i.e. as interrelated combination of text and image, with a contextualization of the works within the specific historical, art historical, cultural, social and political environments in which they were created.

Table of Contents

  • Contents: Introduction: playing with words and images
  • Evolution towards Zen paintings in the Edo period
  • An independent artistic language
  • Liberation from rules
  • Letting go of common conceptions
  • Emancipation from social conventions
  • Humor as an expression of freedom
  • Conclusion: ultimate freedom
  • Bibliography
  • Index.

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