2016 / LACMA / Japanese Paintings: Figures from Life, Figures from Allegory, Dec. 12, 2015 – May 29
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Japanese Paintings: Figures from Life, Figures from Allegory
Pavilion for Japanese Art, East Wing
Dec. 12, 2015–May 29, 2016
Katsukawa Shunsho (1726-1792), Child Dancing with Chrysanthemum Branch, Alternate Title: Kikujido, Hanging scroll; ink and colors on silk. Image: 33 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. Gift of Caroline and Jarred Morse. Photo © 2015 Museum Association/LACMA
This exhibition, featuring 24 figurative works of art, explores feminine beauty in the ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) manner, inspired by fashion trends popular in the entertainment quarters of Edo.
As Japan’s shogunal capital from 1603 to 1868, Edo (which is now Tokyo) had a predominantly male population, with a huge contingent of samurai and tradesmen who catered to them; in this male-dominated environment, images of womanly allure became very popular.
In addition to this show, there are several other opportunities to see excellent works of Japanese art on view at LACMA. Stellar examples of work in multiple formats by artists such as Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) and Katsukawa Shunsho (1726–1792) are featured not only in this installation, but also in Living for the Moment: Japanese Prints from the Barbara S. Bowman Collection, currently on view in the Pavilion for Japanese Art and the Ahmanson Building.
Paintings now on view in the lower three levels of the Pavilion for Japanese Art illuminate the variety within the figural traditions practiced across various schools of Japanese painting.
Additionally, works by Hokusai are included in Screens, Scrolls, and Prints: Japanese Art from LACMA’s Collection, on view with Frank Gehry in the Resnick Pavilion. This exhibition is included in general admission.
Japanese Paintings: Figures from Life, Figures from Allegory was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
