A World of Edo Art
Edo artists perceived nature through the prism of Buddhism and Shinto animism, religions that revere the spirits that animate all of nature—not just human beings—so artists saw themselves as among nature's creatures, not above them. This perspective inspired them to portray their fellow living beings with inner lives and emotions, whether a conference of puppies, a curious fish, or an eagle with a ferocious gaze. To imbue their subjects with the nuances of subjectivity, some Edo painters practiced shasei (observing and sketching nature), opening their eyes to paint what they saw with their hearts. Viewed centuries later, Edo artists' minute observations and painstaking portrayals of stunningly alive ecologies can be appreciated as both magnificent artworks and as detailed, precise visual records of the natural world centuries ago.
Unlike Western oil paintings, intended to be framed and permanently hung on walls, most Edo art was painted on large scale folding screens, byōbu, or hanging scrolls, kakejiku, that were easily folded or rolled up. Edo artists were not striving to paint a world centered around humans—indeed many of their works were commissioned to celebrate a specific season or special event—so they did not attempt to reproduce reality as we experience it. Instead of single point perspective, byōbu provide multiple points of perspective with each vantage revealing a unique view. With no light sources or shadows, the art is not tied to a specific time or place, and Edo artists also used empty space, yohaku, to provide ample opportunities for viewers to enter the painting, see it however they wish, and engage their attentions over time.
Until late in the twentieth century, Western science discredited intelligence, emotions, or individual personalities in non-human living creatures, rejecting research that might demonstrate them. In the 1980s, some scientists began challenging this position and in the twenty-first century, books detailing the results of such studies have become bestsellers, proving that animals are indeed intelligent and that humans enjoy discovering just how smart they really are. Among them are The Genius of Birds (2016); The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate (2016); and Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are (2016). Excerpts from these books and others in the readings on the Featured Art pages can help us appreciate the ecologies depicted in Edo art through the prism of recent scientific discoveries.
After the Edo period ended in 1868, countless works were sold to Western collectors who were captivated by their originality and elegance, and many are now housed in museums outside Japan. The A World of Edo Art site is made possible because many museums with Edo art collections have introduced Open Access, a policy that means you can download public domain artworks from their websites. Because copyright has long expired on most Edo art, if an artwork is designated Public Domain or CC0 (Creative Commons 0), that means you can use, share, and remix it without restrictions. In the videos, activities, and readings on the Featured Art pages, you can see many examples of how public domain Edo art can be used by anyone for any purpose, often giving it new life in a context the Edo artist could not have imagined.