Chinese Painting I: Night-Shining White

Han Gan. Night-Shining White. Tang  Dynasty . ca. 750

Useful pages at the Met's Timeline of Art History

• Chinese Painting 
• Painting Formats in East Asian Art
• Chinese Handscrolls
• Landscape Painting in Chinese Art
• Scholar-Officials (makers and connoisseurs of art)
• Chinese Calligraphy

Also:

• Chinese Panting in Context (Asia Society) 
• Six Principles (Wikipedia stub)

Ancient Chinese Art: the First Emperor's Tomb

• Chinese Dynasty Guide at Minneapolis Institute of the Arts
• Terracotta Army -- article at Wikipedia
• Qin Shi Huang -- article at Wikipedia
• Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor -- at Unesco (source of video above)
• Explore the Necropolis -- Discovery Channel 
• Early Imperial Archaeology: More About the Tomb of the First Emperor (National Gallery of Art)
• Photosynth image of the Warriors 

Buddhist Religious Architecture: Pagodas

Wikipedia article: Pagoda LINK

Fogon Si Pagoda, Yingzian, China

The Song Dynasty in China (Columbia University) LINK

Wikipedia article: Architecture of the Song Dynasty: LINK

Wikipedia article: Pagoda of Fogong Temple LINK

Wikipedia article: Ancient Chinese Wooden Architecture LINK

"The Eight-Sided Pagoda of Foguang Si at Yingxian" by Kate Erickson LINK

Some Photos at Flickr HERE and HERE

Wikimedia page: Pagodas in China LINK

Horyu-Ji Pagoda, Japan

Horyu-Ji at Wikipedia LINK

Horyu-Ji at Great Buildings Online LINK

Horyu-Ji at Asian Historical Architecture LINK

Hindu Religious Architecture : Temples

Northern Style: the Vishvanatha Temple at Khajuraho (c. 1000) [1-23]

• UNESCO page
• UNESCO video [SLYT]
• Kandariya Temple, Khajuraho at Asian Historical Architecture
• Information at TempleNet
• Images from Prof. Pritchett's website (Columbia Univ.)
• Information at Great Buildings Online
• Panoramic Image at World Heritage Tours
• Photosynth Image 
• 7 Wonders of India: Khajuraho [SLYT]

Southern Style: the Rajarajeshvara Temple at Thanjavur (c. 1010) [1-22]

• Brihadeeswarar Temple article at Wikipedia
• Bridhadeshvara Temple at Asian Historical Architecture
• UNESCO page about "Great Living Chola Temples"
• Panoramic Image at World Heritage Tour
• 7 Wonders of India: Thanjavur Temple [SLYT}

Buddhist Religious Architecture: The Stupa

• Wikipedia article on Stupa
• Introduction to Stupas from the Stupa Information Page
• Symbolism of the Stupa from Buddhanet
• The Stupa Project for World Peace
• "Rahil Circumambulates Sanchi" [SLYT]

Examples of Stupas:

Second Quiz: Buddha & Shiva

Seated Buddha from Gandhara (Victoria & Albert Museum)

Choose either one of the images here and, in separate paragraphs, describe any three individual symbolic details and their meaning, and then conclude with a paragraph that describes how these three details fit together as parts of  the object's overall meaning. (For those of you counting, that makes four paragraphs.) Quizzes are due & will be collected in class next Wednesday, February 22nd.

Things that matter: a) accuracy of information b) the depth of thought & understanding present in your answer and c) clear and correct language that avoids any hint of plagiarism -- including paraphrasing a source without citation.

Shiva Nataraja (Cleveland Museum of Art)

Shiva Nataraja

Chola Period Shiva Nataraja (Met)

"If a single icon had to be chosen to represent the extraordinary rich and complex cultural heritage of India, the Shiva Nataraja might well be the most remunerative candidate. It is such a brilliant iconographic invention that it comes as close to being a summation of the genius of the Indian people as any single icon can."

Other useful links:

• the Chola Period Shiva Nataraja (shown above) at the Met
• Wikipedia article on Nataraja

More examples (most with good notes) at: 

• the Royal Academy of Arts
•  the Asia Society
• at LACMA  
• at the Victoria and Albert Museum 
• at the Freer / Sackler Galleries  
• at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts 
• AND at the British Museum

Shiva Maha Deva & Maha Yogi

Symbolic Features to Look For:

• Body covered with ashes
• Matted Hair
• River Ganges
• Crescent Moon
• Third Eye
• Half-Open Eyes
• Ear Rings (Kundalas)
• Snake
• Necklaces
• Mudra 
• Trident
• Drum
• Water Pot
• Bull
• Tiger Skin
• Cremation Ground
• Mountain 
• OM symbol

Shiva in Lingam Form

Wikipedia article on Lingam
TempleNet article on Lingam
Story of Shiva's appearance in Lingam Form

Ice Lingam of Shiva at Amarnath
Website for Amarnath Ji Yatra

Schedule Weeks 5 and 6

Week 5: Indian Art: Representations of Shiva

M: Shiva Trimurti (Mahadeva) (1-18)

W: Shiva Linga and Mahayogi

F:  Shiva Nataraja (1-17 and 1-25)

Week 4:  Asian Religious Architecture 

M:  Buddhist Stupas
W: Hindu Temples
F:  Pagodas 

Shiva (Trimurti)

Shiva Trimurti (Elephanta)

Broad Background:  A good overview of Hinduism at Wikipedia

Details: Wikipedia’s page on Shiva
Wikipedia article on Trimurti


360 Image:  Shiva Trimurti at the Elephanta Cave Temple, Mumbai 
Wikipedia entry on the Shiva Temple at the Elephanta Caves, Mumbai

Buddhas Again -- from Thailand

The Sukhothai period (14th century) was especially important for Buddhist art in Thailand, as during this time a distinctive stylistic approach was formulated. Buddha's in this style. These Buddhas have all the standard iconography associated with Buddhas elsewhere, but emphasize long, graceful, curvilinear forms. Although some are seated, or reclining, others show the Buddha standing or walking.

Wikipedia article: Buddha Images in Thailand
Thai Buddhist Art and Architecture at the UC Riverside Thai Digital Monastery Project
A Mon Period Buddha (6th-8th century) at the Asia Society

tdm.ucr.edu

artsmia.org

Buddhas beyond India

Buddha (Thailand, 14th c.)

 

Buddha (Korea, AD 900-1100)

OK, so we've looked at early representations of the Buddha (from Gandhara) and we've looked at a later example (from Sarnath) which shows the early form refined into a classic formula.  Now it's time to consider how that classic formula gets taken up & refined by different cultures, outside India.  

We should keep in mind that, while the Buddha is in some sense a representation of an abstract ideal, the Buddha is also a specific material subject.  In Africa we looked at how different cultures portrayed similar abstract ideals (kingship, power, the relationship between men and women, the ideal child) but always through subject matter that varied from specific culture to specific culture.  The Buddha is a subject matter than can "belong" to any people.  The Buddha crosses all boundaries.   

The Buddha is not just art from the world; the Buddha is art of the world.  There are many peoples, many forms of Buddhas, many styles of Buddhas, many Buddhas, but at the same time, all Buddhas are one.

Article on "Buddhism and Buddhist Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Article on "The Art of Buddhism" at the Smithsonian Institution

Some different examples of Buddhas

A Chinese Buddha (late 7th-early 8th century)
Another Chinese Buddha (7th century)

A Tibetan Seated Buddha (9th-10th century)

A Buddha from China (early 11th century)

A Buddha from Thailand (16th century)

The Emerald Buddha in Bangkok

A Sukhothai Walking Buddha

Many Buddhas in Baltimore

Perfection in the proportions of a Buddha (BuddhaNet)

 

More Buddha Basics: typical features & Gupta style

Teaching Buddha at Sarnath (1-13)

Gupta Period Sculpture

Note the lakshanas seen here:

- the urna or dot between the eyebrows
- the ushnisha or cranial bump
- the mudra or hand position (here, teaching the wheel of dharma)
- elongated ears
- simple monk's robe
- the asana or posture (here, meditating)
- lotus seat (here the folds of his robe & not an actual lotus)
- wheel symbols on feet
- halo behind the head




Other Resources:

• Wikipedia article on Sarnath
• Buddhanet article on Sarnath
• Gupta period Standing Buddha (Metropolitan Museum)

First Quiz: Africa: nkisi nkondi

For this object, please:

1) describe the purpose (function) of this object
2) choose any two features of this object and explain how each one relates to that purpose.

By "features" I mean: physical details, materials or techniques -- parts of the physical form of the object. For example -- an akuaba is made of dark, smooth wood that is highly polished; there are sometimes beads or jewelry attached; and it represents the human form, but by exaggerating some aspects (the head) and minimizing others (arms, legs).

Things that matter:
a) your choice of which features to discuss
b) the depth of thought in your answer
c) precise and careful use of appropriate technical terms from class discussion
d) clear and correct language
e) avoiding any hint of plagiarism

Answers are due in class on Monday.

Buddha Basics & Gandhara style

Basic Buddhism Guide from BuddhaNet 
Buddhism and Buddhist Art essay at the TOAH
The Art of Buddhism (Freer & Sackler Gallery Guide -- several pages)

Life of the Buddha essay at the TOAH
BuddhaNet article about the Buddha’s First Sermon at Sarnath
Article on Greco-Buddhist art at Wikipedia
Gandhara period frieze of the First Sermon at the Met