Arika Hawk
June 12, 2016
Professor Bomboy
HUM 101

Non-Western Art and

The art of the Eastern world is fascinating. Styles upon styles emerge from the many countries and cultures. With the melting pot mentality of the Western world, mainly the United States, the Eastern styles and cultures heavily influence day to day lives. Ancient art styles are always being rediscovered, redefined, and recreated. One famous Japanese style that you have more than likely seen is Ukiyo-e, “pictures of the floating world,” and the technique of Nishiki-e, “brocade picture”. This style of art was originally used to depict the texts of Buddhist scriptures and popular novels. The following paragraphs will describe the famous art piece titled “Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter” from the story of Uto Yasutaka. Descriptions of the painting style, Ukiyo-e, the meaning behind the painting, the elements of the artwork, and my immediate reaction to seeing this painting are as follows.

Ukiyo-e is the process of using woodblocks to print colors and shapes onto paper or scrolls. This style of polychrome woodblock prints became popular between the 17^th and 19^th centuries. The main subjects of these prints were typically beautiful women, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, folk tales, historical depictions, landscapes, plant and wildlife, and also erotica. “Making woodblock prints was a  three-stage process: (1) painting a design with ink, (2) carving the design onto wooden blocks, and (3) applying colored ink to the blocks and pressing sheets of paper against the blocks. (Japan 1) Though there are famous print masters such as Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770), each print was most likely a collaboration of four people: the designer, the engraver, the printer, and the publisher. (Art 1-3)

            One such print master was Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). Kuniyoshi is famous for his depictions of history and mythology. His masterpiece “Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter” can be seen hanging in the Honolulu Museum of Art in Honolulu, Hawaii. The painting was donated by Victor S.K. Houston in 1941 in honor of his wife’s passing. The print is a depiction of a scene from a novel titled the Story of Uto Yasutaka, written by Santo Kyoden. In the novel, Princess Takiyasha, daughter to the warlord Taira Masakado, gains magical powers from a mountain hermit to form a conspiracy against her father’s killer, Oya Taro Mitsukuni. A giant skeleton emerges from a dark void, crashing through the palace blinds, attacking Mitsukuni and his companion. (Beretania 1)

            A beautiful depiction of a macabre act, the use of flat lines to separate the changing of colors is a perfect representation of the Ukiyo-e method. Using the blending of different shades of the same color, each color is sharply contrasted by a well-defined, flat line. Another prominent depiction of Ukiyo-e is the use of a strange swooping angle with little attempt to show a 3-D setting. In addition, the texture in the painting comes directly from woodblocks and paper, rather than Kuniyoshi using the paint to create the texture. The contrast of light and dark drastically draws the looker’s eye to the characters of the scene; along with the colors versus the empty white, which emphasizes the more humanly features versus otherworldly. The darker background around the skeleton and also the humans comparted to the color painted into the humans clothing creates a focal point, which is the humans themselves. The crumbling of the blinds creates a swooping affect that also draws the eye to the two humans in the center, as well as the woman who is off to the side, looking down to the men in the middle. It is clear that Kuniyoshi wanted the men fighting off this unhuman entity to be the focal point of the painting.

            After seeing this painting, my initial reaction was “hmm, this is awfully cool looking.” It immediately peaked my interest. The skeleton caught my eye and made me want to know more about what exactly was happening. At first glance, I assumed the skeleton was a representation of death, and those below and around him were about to meet their own deaths. After doing some research, I discovered I was not too far off from the truth. The woman, however, was not about to face her death, instead, she was casting death onto the other two men. She wanted gain vengeance on the man for the death of her father, and anyone who worked with this man. In addition of the meaning behind the painting, the textures and the colors caught my eye. I have always found the Asian style of paintings to be fascinating. The use of the black and the contrast of the whites and grey was simple, but attention grabbing. With the splashes of color in the clothing and the drapes, the colors were used brilliantly.

            The painting of “Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter” is a wonderful example of ancient Japanese artwork. The use of the woodwork and the paint is a genius way to take an already masterful painting, and punch it to the next level, to grab and keep the viewer’s attention. From the color and texture contrast, to the interesting background story, this painting has earned its spot hanging in the walls of any museum.

 

Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter

Works Cited

Art, Department of Asia. Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style. 10 2003. Print. 11 06 2016.

Beretania, Honolulu. Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter from the Story of Uto Yasutaka. 2014. Print. 11 06 2014.

Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affiars of. What Is Ukiyo-e? n.d. Print. 11 06 2016.