Nihonga

日本画 / 1880s– / Style / East Asian Painting

A modern framework that redefined Japanese painting from the side of its materials, mineral pigment, animal glue, washi and silk, in response to the influx of Western painting. Its character is a compromise led by material, keeping traditional technique while modernizing subject and composition.

Nihonga — Hashimoto Gahō, White Clouds and Red Trees, 1890 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Hashimoto Gahō, White Clouds and Red Trees, 1890 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Nihonga — Uemura Shōen, Flame, 1918 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Uemura Shōen, Flame, 1918 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Nihonga — Hayami Gyoshū, Dance of Flames, 1925 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Hayami Gyoshū, Dance of Flames, 1925 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

At a glance

Visual cues

The grain and color of mineral pigment
Layers built up with animal glue
The white of the silk or paper ground
Contour line and flatness preserved

Best used for

Showing the physical presence of the material as strongly as the subject
Handling modern composition with traditional materials

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Dictionary entry

Type: Let the relation between the seal and the void set the center of gravity.
Composition: Leave the void generous and push the subject to one side.
Material: Choose the grain size of the mineral pigment and build layers with glue.
Caution: Do not confuse it with Japanese styling. The substance of this framework is the choice of material and technique.
Further study: The roles of Fenollosa and Okakura Tenshin / The definition of the medium as mineral pigment and glue / Its formation as the counter concept to yōga

Related entries

Rinpa (琳派)Same East Asian Painting lineage.Compare Nihonga and Rinpa
Sumi-e (水墨画)Same East Asian Painting lineage.Compare Nihonga and Sumi-e

Cite this entry

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Link: https://indexstyle.org/styles/nihonga
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