Jeks's Blog

 For many years, Americans have indulged in Japanese art, primarily in terms of anime, manga, and cutesy mascots. We were t-shirts, we buy figurines, and we purchase cutlery and dishes with floral prints or cute animals on them. But it would be a disservice to the rich history and culture of Japan to act as if this is all the art they have to offer. For this blog post, I will be looking at four works from the Edo Period, which lasted from 1615 to 1868.  One Hundred Boys , Kano Eino, 17th Century, Japan Kano Eino was the successor to Kano Sansetsu, head of the House of Kano, who served as official painters to the elite of both the imperials and military for over four centuries. Kano Eino's style is one passed down through his family, as many generations of the Kano family painted in a similar style. I chose this painting because I feel like it reflects the values and culture of the time, as well as being very visually pleasing. There are multiple elements from Japanese culture prese

 As stated in a previous blog post of mine, I believe that looking at the art created during war times is an incredibly important thing to do. We cannot forget the humanity present during times of struggle, cannot let artists, many of whom were fighting against oppression, risking their lives with every book, every painting, fade into memory. By viewing these pieces, we memorialize those who created them, and further thwart those who wanted them extinguished. For this blog, I would like to continue the themes I talked about in my WWI blog post with the second World War, and the art created during the horrors of this catastrophic era of human history. Women and Children in the Tube , Henry Moore, 1940, London, England Tube Shelter Perspective: The Liverpool Street Extension , Henry Moore, 1940, London, England During the time of WWII, the tube stations in England, what Americans would call the subway, had to be converted into shelters to protect civilians during air raids. Bombs would r

 World War I affected the lives of everyone involved, from the soldiers to the civilians near the fighting to those waiting back at home for their loved ones. It was a horrific point in our history, when outdated battle tactics met modern weapons such as machine guns and mustard gas. Nearly three million people died in just Germany alone, and we still reference trench warfare as being a miserable and grueling affair. With war being such an emotional time, it makes sense why one that involved nearly the entirety of Europe would influence one of the most emotional fields; art. Tunnellers , Christopher Nevinson, 1916, Britain Tunnellers  is a work I greatly enjoy. The value of the piece is incredibly striking, with harsh darks and sharp beams of light creating an eerie atmosphere. The use of cool colours gives it a dreary look, as if the environment depicted were frigid to the touch. The figure's gas mask adds to this feeling of unease, the textures of the graphite and crayon used giv

When it comes to the styles of the Romantic Era, I find myself drawn to Romanticism more than anything else. I've always been a fan of works that seek to elicit an emotional response over any sort of pride or merely looking nice. Not that those aren't valid reasons to create, of course, but they don't interest me as much as something designed to make you feel. I also enjoy the variety of techniques and mediums utilized during this period, as can be seen in the works I've chosen for this blog post. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters , Francisco Goya, 1799, Bordeaux, France Francisco Goya, more well-known for his work The Third of May 1808 , also dabbled in prints, such as the one pictured here, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters . I adore this etching, particularly for its illustration-esque style. The line-art is amazing, utilizing hatching and curves to give the illusion of a more three-dimensional figure. The composition of the piece draws the eye from the sleep