Exhibition at Cleveland Museum of Art features works from the recent bequest of medieval Japanese art

21 mai 2017

Exhibition at Cleveland Museum of Art features works from the recent bequest of medieval Japanese art

Reeds and Geese (detail), c. 1314–17. Inscription by Yishan Yining (Chinese, 1247–1317). Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333). Hanging scroll, ink on paper; mounted: 158.5 x 42.2 cm; painting: 80.4 x 32.2 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.464.

CLEVELAND, OH.- Reeds and Geese: Japanese Art from the Collection of George Gund III celebrates the 2015 bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art of significant works of Japanese art from the collection of Cleveland native George Gund III. Gund’s bequest has significantly expanded the museum’s holdings of important 14th-to 17th-century Japanese ink paintings and calligraphies and added to the collection a group of early Japanese ceramics from the 12th to 16th centuries. The exhibition features 20 works from the bequest, including a diverse selection of light-sensitive ink paintings, the majority of which are on view at the museum for the first time since the 2000 exhibition Ink Paintings and Ash-Glazed Ceramics. Reeds and Geese: Japanese Art from the Collection of George Gund III explores the ways in which Japanese art from these periods has been appreciated and reinterpreted in later eras. Complementing the rarely seen works on view will be 15 related paintings and tea ceramics. Reeds and Geese: Japanese Art from the Collection of George Gund III is on view May 21 through September 3, 2017, in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Gallery.

“George Gund III maintained a wonderful relationship with the Cleveland Museum of Art throughout his life, and we are pleased to present a selection of important works from his notable collection,” said William Griswold, director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “Gund’s bequest has allowed the museum to expand its holdings of Japanese art, and we are thrilled to share these works with our visitors.”

Chinese Literatus in an Autumn Landscape, late 1400s. Josui Sōen (Japanese, active about 1489–1500). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Hanging scroll, ink on paper; mounted: 111 x 56.2 cm; painting: 29.8 x 44.5 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.467.

Beginning in the 1200s Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhist monks brought calligraphy, poetry, ink paintings, and aesthetically compelling useful objects to Japan, transforming the Japanese visual landscape in ways that still impact Japanese culture today. From the 1300s through the 1500s, paintings inscribed with poems became important in the gift-giving culture of Japan’s ruling elites. From the 1500s onward, tea ceremonies, Japanese rituals of preparing and serving green tea, provided a setting in which prized works could be appreciated along with specially selected works in stoneware and porcelain, or metal and lacquer. Reeds and Geese: Japanese Art from the Collection of George Gund III highlights the importance of preserving and presenting these works of art, especially in the context of tea culture.

“In contemporary life, many of us encounter calligraphies and paintings like these in museums and galleries where they are on view for weeks or months at a time. But they were originally brought out to be seen for only a matter of hours in private settings,” said Sinéad Vilbar, curator of Japanese art. “Later on, a handful of guests might be gathered to drink tea together and would view a hanging scroll in a display alcove. The owner, usually the host of the gathering, would likely also share the scroll’s boxes and associated commentary, made and collected over the centuries to tell the story of the scroll. This exhibition gives people the chance to see both works of art and a sampling of the associated items that create these stories.”

Landscape (detail), 1500s. Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Six-panel folding screen, ink on paper; framed: 145.5 x 366.8 cm; painting: 129.5 x 350.8 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.483.

Chinese Literature and the Zen Monastic System presents a work inscribed by one of the most important figures of the medieval period’s earliest era, Yishan Yining (1247–1317), who disseminated classical Chinese literature—especially poetry—in both Kamakura in Kanto in the east and to the west in Kyoto, the former capital city of Japan. Some of the earliest ink painting and Chinese-style poetry was produced in Kyoto, and the Ashikaga military regime amassed an important collection of Chinese paintings that served as references for eminent Japanese painters in their employ. Inscribed ink paintings and calligraphies were later paired with prized ceramics and seasonal floral arrangements in the practice of tea culture. Works in the gallery attest to the diversity of regional ink painting that developed over the course of the medieval period.

The final gallery, The House of Kano, pays homage to the Kano school of painters who were active across Japan for 400 years, with major practitioners of the house style in both the east and west. Beginning with its founder, Kano Masanobu (1434–1530), to its final master, Kano Hōgai (1828–1888), the house of Kano developed into a vast professional network. Originally based solely in Kyoto, the Kano school was famous for its fan paintings. Stretching from the Muromachi period (1392–1573) to the Edo period (1615–1868) the Kano became the official painters of the Ashikaga shoguns, or Japanese military government, and later the Tokugawa shoguns. They also handled important commissions for the imperial family, as well as for regional rulers. While different branches of the school had different stylistic signatures, all were founded in the studious copying of all manner of Song and Yuan dynasty Chinese prototypes, as well as later Ming dynasty models.

Pan Lang, mid-1500s. Shikibu Terutada (Japanese, active mid-1500s). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Fan-shaped paintings mounted as a hanging scrolls, ink and gold on paper; mounted: 99.4 x 65.5 cm; painting: 25 x 50 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.591.

Visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy the Japanese art of flower arranging. In collaboration with Ikebana International Chapter 20 and the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art, a special Ikebana flower arrangement will be on view at the entrance of the exhibition. Each week, Ikebana artists will create an original arrangement that will highlight the 600-year-old floral art form while enhancing the visual experience of the exhibition.

Gund’s bequest includes several rare Korean ink paintings ranging from the 16th through the 19th century. As a parallel presentation, these works will be on view beginning July 28 in the Korea Foundation Gallery.

Hanshan and Shide, mid-1500s. Shikibu Terutada (Japanese, active mid-1500s). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Fan-shaped painting mounted as a hanging scroll, ink and gold on paper; mounted: 124.2 x 68.4 cm; painting: 25 x 49.7 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.592.

Bamboo and Plum, 1500s. Sesson Shūkei (Japanese, active about 1504–about 1589). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Hanging scroll, ink on paper; mounted: 198.1 x 60.4 cm; painting: 105 x 48.2 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.503.

Returning Home, mid-1500s. Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper; mounted: 165.1 x 55.9 cm; painting: 57.9 x 41.9 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.513.

Landscape, mid-1500s. Kano Motonobu (Japanese, about 1476–1559), inscription by Gesshū Jukei (Japanese, 1470–1533). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Hanging scroll, ink on paper; mounted: 104.7 x 48.9 cm; painting: 22.2 x 37.7 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.518.

Reeds and Geese, c. 1314–17. Inscription by Yishan Yining (Chinese, 1247–1317). Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333). Hanging scroll, ink on paper; mounted: 158.5 x 42.2 cm; painting: 80.4 x 32.2 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.464.

Hanshan and Shide, mid-1500s. Shikibu Terutada (Japanese, active mid-1500s). Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573). Fan-shaped painting mounted as a hanging scroll, ink and gold on paper; mounted: 124.2 x 68.4 cm; painting: 25 x 49.7 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Collection of George Gund III, 2015.592.