Description
[G/C; Asian Studies minor] When Tokugawa Ieyasu assumed the title of shogun and established Edo as his seat of power, a new era of stability emerged. Despite the closure of Japan to foreign contacts early in the seventeenth century, the Edo Period (1603-1868) became an artistically rich and diverse time period. This course explores a range of art from artists who enjoyed the patronage of the aristocracy and shoguns, to the emergence of art that appealed to the burgeoning urban culture of Edo itself. We will study the variety of art produced during the Edo Period including Kano and Tosa school works, Rinpa, Ukiyo-e (Japanese prints), art related to Zen Buddhism, Nanga (Bunjinga), and Western-influenced art. We will examine paintings, prints, architecture, gardens, ceramics, calligraphy and textiles, taking into consideration the various social, religious, and cultural contexts under which the art was produced.