Eight-planked+Bridge--+Ogata+Korin


 * Eight-Planked Bridge: Pair of painted panels by Ogata Korin**


 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Yatsuhashi-zu_By%C5%8Dbu_by_K%C5%8Drin_Ogata_%28171-14%29.jpg width="748" height="188"]] ||
 * = Copyright © 2000–2010 The Metropolitan Museum of Art ||
 * Title: Eight-planked Bridge (Yatsuhashi)
 * Artist(s): Ogata Korin
 * Date: after 1709
 * Period: Edo Period (1615-1868), 18th century
 * Country of Origin: Japan
 * Cultural/Ethnic Affiliation: Japanese
 * Medium: ink, color and gold leaf on paper
 * Dimensions: Pair of six-panel folding screens: Each 70 1/2 x 12 ft. 2 1/4 in. (179.1 x 371.5 cm)
 * Museum/Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
 * Accession Number: 53.7.1-2

**Introduction:**
This entry highlights a pair of six-panel folding screens from the artist Ogata Korin. This piece, titled //Yatsuhashi// (Eight-planked Bridge) was inspired by an episode from //The Tales of Ise//, an early piece of Japanese literature dating back to the Heian period(794-1185). Ogata Korin is the foremost artist among a group of decorative painters from Kyoto during the early seventeenth century. The subject of this piece, however, reaches back nearly a millennium. Both Korin's artistic style as well as the subject of this piece can be traced back to this era of Japanese history.

In 794 the Imperial capital was relocated from Nara to Heian(present day Kyoto). The emperor Konmu had several reasons for moving the capital. Among them was a desire to distance the Imperial court from the growing influence of the Buddhist temples at Nara. While a devout Buddhist, Konmu felt the Temples at Nara were emitting too much influence over court society. The moving of the capital had several implications regarding the role of aristocratic culture in Heian society. Foremost, the Imperial court became a playing field for wealthy families, competing for influence through daughters sent as consorts to the Emperor. The influence of Aristocratic influence on the Imperial court reached it's zenith during the Fujiwara Period(889-1185). The development of a new writing system, kana, brought forth a period of literary efflorescence during the Heian period. Previously the Japanese relied upon the Chinese writing system. The invention of a distinctly Japanese language enabled many more people to write. Women from the flourishing aristocratic society contributed immensely to the new national literature. Composed of 125 pieces of prose and poetry, or measures, The Tales of Ise is one of the most notable writings from the Heian period. Not only does it reflect the interests of the elite Heian culture, but also sets a precedent in Japanese literature.

It was also within this historical climate that a uniquely Japanese style of painting emerged. The Tosa School implemented bold color schemes and utilized gold and silver, practices which hadn't been emulated from Chinese painting. In that respect the Tosa school characterized a distinctly Japanese style of painting. Around 1600 there was a revival of this style with the Koyetsu school, from which Ogata Korin emerged.

Ogata Korin's //Eight Planked Bridge// was inspired by an especially important passage from the //Tales of Ise//. In this section the central character rests beside an eight planked bridge and recites a poem.

から衣 きつゝなれにし つましあれば はるばるきぬる たびをしぞ思 Karagoromo / kitsutsu narenishi / tsuma shi areba / harubaru kinuru / tabi o shi zo omou I have a beloved wife / familiar as the skirt / of a well-worn robe / and so this distant journeying / fills my heart with grief

This passage contains is noteworthy as it contains all of the thematic elements within //The Tales of Ise//. Moreover, //The Tales of Ise//, is among the early pieces of work which set in motion the Japanese literary tradition. Similarly, Ogata Korin has his stylist roots in the early Japanese painting traditions of the Heian period, which only contributes to the historical importance of //Eight Planked Bridge//.

**Descriptive Analysis:**
There are six panels in this piece. They are 70 ½ in x 12 ft 2 ¼ inches each. Each vertical panel is joined to the next to create a horizontal composition. This is a simple composition that draws the eye in a diagonal line. The bridge and the irises continue on to each panel. As the viewer, we are not encouraged to look at each panel separately, but as a whole. Decorating the panels are vibrant irises made of ink and color. The irises are portrayed on gilded paper, otherwise known as gold leaf on paper. The gold color contrasts the irises so they stand out from the negative space.

The irises have beautiful green stems. This cool color has a calming effect on the viewer. The contrast of the organic shapes of the irises and the geometric shape of the bridge keeps the viewer’s attention. The bold colors of the flowers also attract the eye. There is tension between the flow of the softer lines and the abruptness of the straight and narrow bridge. The stems are curved and have a sense of fluidity and randomness, but the bridge is carefully laid out across the panels. The irises soften the composition and balance out the crisp edges of the bridge. Korin used a technique called tarashikomi to create the natural-looking, softer edges. This technique involved blending the colors together by overlapping them before they dry. The colors hold their own, even though the gold leaf attracts a lot of attention.

This set is very similar to another set done by Korin titled //Irises//. Korin enjoyed the iris motif and created several pieces with this theme. He experimented with compositions that included the bridge and some where it was left out. In Irises Korin paints the irises from the Tale of Ise without the bridge, to turn viewers of the painting into the hero of the story, as if we are standing on the bridge and looking out to the irises.



Both pieces were inspired by the //Tale of Ise//, however //Irises// is considered a National Treasure to Japan and kept at the Nezu Institute of Art in Tokyo, Japan.

Formal & Contextual Analysis**:**
Korin was Born in 1658 to a wealthy family of textile merchants. He was known to live a very extravagant lifestyle and when he inherited the family business in the 1690's he squandered the family fortune. Korin was influenced by the works of Sotatsu. Like Sotatsu, he incorporated many themes from Japanese literature. He also studied Sotatsu and mimicked his work as he developed his own style. Korin was primarily a painter, but also did lacquer-ware and textiles.

Lacquer box with //Eight-plank Bridge// design. Copyright © Tokyo National Museum

In the early 19th century Korin's works inspired a group of artists and the style became known as 'Rimpa', school of Rin.

Works Cited " 尾形光琳 - 八ツ橋図屏風（八橋図屏風） - （画像・壁紙） ." // 西洋絵画、西洋美術の画像・壁紙と解説 //// : //// サルヴァスタイル美術館 // // TOP //. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. . Gives discriptions of the artwork in Japanese.

"Eight Bridges (Yatsuhashi) | Ogata Kôrin | Collection Database | Works of Art | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York." //The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org//. 2000. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. . Easy facts about the artwork.

King, Ross. //Art: over 2,500 Works from Cave to Contemporary//. New York, NY: DK Pub., 2008. Print. This book shows a history of art through photos with brief descriptions.

" Ogata Korin / Eight-Planked Bridge (Yatsuhashi) / Edo Period (1615-1868), 18th Century." //David Rumsey Historical Map Collection| The Collection//. 2000. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. . Factual and descriptive information about the artwork.

"Ogata Korin: Eight-Planked Bridge (Yatsuhashi) (53.7.1-2) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." //The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org//. Oct. 2006. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. . Describes the painting and the poem of the artist.

O'Mahony, Mike. //World Art: The Essential Illustrated History.// London: Flame Tree, 2006. Print. This book shows a history of art through photos with brief descriptions

Stanley-Baker, Joan. //Japanese Art//. London: Thames and Hudson, 1995. Print. This book gives a chronological account of Japanese art with photos and in depth text of political and social changes that influenced the art.

Bosch Reitz, S.C. //A Japanese Screen by Ogata Korin.// Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin Vol 21 no. 10(Oct 1926). p 234-237

Ebrey, Patricia. Pre Modern East Asian History: To 1800. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company: New York. 2006.

Priest, Alan. //Korin and the Iris Screens.// The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series. Vol 13, no. 7(March 1955).

Browning, Richard.'The Ise monogatari: A short cultural history', //Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies//, vol. 52, no. 2 (December 1992), pp. 401–480. Examines the Tale of Ise and its importance to the Japanese literary tradition.