The 3rd Installment: "The Moon" [Professor Naoki Sato] "Art Appreciation Lessons Taught at Tokyo University of the Arts: A New Art History Seen Through East-West Comparisons"
This article compares the depiction and appreciation of the 'moon' in Japanese and Western paintings.Summary
This article, the third installment in a series by Professor Naoki Sato of Tokyo University of the Arts, examines the theme of the 'moon' by comparing Japanese and Western paintings. In Caspar David Friedrich's Western landscape, *Two Men Contemplating the Moon*, the figures are shown from behind, allowing viewers to project themselves into the scene, while the moon, featuring the rare phenomenon of 'earthshine,' is boldly centered as an extraordinary focal point. Conversely, in the Japanese Edo-period screen painting *Evening Cool at the Evening Primrose Arbor* by Kusumi Morikage, a family enjoys a quiet moment; the moon is not the focus of their gaze and is depicted outside the rules of Western perspective, creating a sensation of the moon quietly approaching the viewer. Morikage prioritized expressing felt sensation over three-dimensional spatial representation. Furthermore, the folding screen format itself implies a physical and spatial mode of appreciation distinct from Western painting, highlighting the differing approaches to nature and viewing experiences in the East and West.
(Source：美術展ナビ)