Japanese Art

World of Art

by Joan Stanley-Baker

The uniqueness of Japanese culture rests on the fact that, throughout its history, Japan has continually taken, adapted and transformed diverse influences, whether from Korea, China, the South Seas, Europe or America, into distinct traditions of its own. This book surveys the arts of Japan from the prehistoric period to the present, bringing together the results of the most recent research on the subject. Profusely illustrated with examples from all the arts—painting, calligraphy, the decorative arts and architecture—"Japanese Art" is a succinct and provocative overview of a fascinating culture. 167 illustrations, 20 in color.

Genres: Art, Japan, Nonfiction, Art History, History, Japanese Literature, Reference

216 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to Japanese art...that feels like half of an excellent introduction to Japanese art.
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure there should be more than a few rushed, fleeting pages on everything post-, say, Meiji. A glaring lack of discussion on the militarist-era's art, which must be endlessly fascinating is probably the obvious crime here.
That said, the rest of the book is outstanding, especially for the person who barely understands the art of Japan. I would've liked some sections on theater and writing, and there is an overwhelming focus on religious art, but I guess that's typical?
Otherwise nifty. I found out a lot I didn't know and some art I didn't know I liked!

[kagami · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book might as well have been called "Chinese and Korean Influence on Japanese Art". I felt there was too much emphasis on the foreign influences and not enough on the internal Japanese dynamics.
Also, without being an art specialist but having some idea of Japanese culture and philosophy of life, I thought that the author's interpretations of some of the paintings and sculptures were far-fetched and groundless. It was also somewhat disappointing to read about colour paintings the illustrations for which are in black and white.
I wish there were more detailed explanations on some of the less usual painting / printing techniques such as woodblock printing.
However, I did like the historical summaries in the beginning of each chapter.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Grace Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes it was slay! Using this book for my history project and it was easy to read but very interesting. A great place to start studying Japanese Art.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

An adequate introduction, hampered considerably by the poor layout. The relevant plates were often pages behind or pages ahead the author's explanations. And while I appreciate that every plate cannot be in colour, the decisions as to which plates to render in greyscale seemed odd. I will probably use it as a prompt to find books on specific artists and art movements to guide my knowledge.

[Samuel Parkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a serviceable art history of Japan. It ties the art both to its historical context and to the foreign influences that have been so critical to Japanese art.

The series format is somewhat limiting, in that a book on the whole history of Japanese art, and which covers all the arts - painting, sculpture, architecture, manga, ceramics, etc - simply needs to be longer.

This gives the whole book a rushed feel: the illustrations in particular are given little attention. Few are described in much detail, and many are covered only by a general mention of the artist. The prose is functional, but gives the impression of being driven more by the necessity to fit in key artists and influences than by any deep exploration of the art itself.

Most exasperatingly, to my mind, is the book's constant obsession with Japanese exceptionalism. Time and time again, Japan's absorption of foreign influences is described in terms of the unique Japanese genius, rather than any concrete cultural understanding.

The book ends on a sentimental note about how the Japanese point forward to a better age in which we'll all care for the world, live in peace and harmony, and appreciate the beauty in everything around us. I'm not sure Japanese culture is well served by these clichés.

[Myles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stanley-Baker obviously loves Buddhist painting and sculpture from the first millennium CE. The way she describes the subtle expressions of Heian and Kamakura era statues is closer to an anthropological text and it’s sublime to read. The downside is she doesn’t seem to care about anything that happened after the arrival of Perry’s Black Ships. But it’s interesting to read her account of the genesis of Japanese art, which started by cribbing liberally from China and the Korean Peninsula, then got weird once the shogun locked the doors to the known world. You know how after you spend a few days alone in the house you start muttering to yourself and acting distinctly unfettered? That’s what Japan was doing when it made all those wonderful comic scrolls, intricately composed screens, and inlaid lacquerware that’s so specifically referential that even specialists have to speculate about artistic intent. I love it, of course. Just wish as a survey we got more depth even on the subjects where Stanley-Baker can’t be bothered.

[Jaymes Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an intro to Japanese art, it does what one would expect for an intro-college text. However, this book will leave you wanting more, especially if you start becoming interested in the subject.

The cover of the book makes me want to handle and consequently read the text, which I found significant. However, Japanese Art does not contain all works mentioned and is especially notable for the ones it elaborates on with missing visual components. Despite select works in color, it has as a number of colored works only in black & white (reduces costs and is acceptable for the black ink-based works), making for an disheartening venture when you are reading about the colors contained in a work only to see a visual representation in greys.

[Trinity Canham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my textbook for one of my university classes, it was enjoyable and I didn’t realise just how focal Buddhism was in Japanese art and architecture.
I’ll admit though that sometimes the writing was a bit strange in regards to the author writing about artists or figures as if you may already know them. Not bad but led to me looking back through the book a lot wondering if I’d missed something. Not particularly bad, just my first art history read so it was different for me.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Japanese were never Confucian prudes or censorious at heart, thus unlike in China, their acute yet compassionate observations of human foibles, down to the most 'unmentionable', were appreciated without false modesty."

[user_fjifods998877 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive review of different types of Japanese art over thousands of years period. Very good for a beginner

[rebecca]

jjjj

[Blake Tourville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly pretty crazy how much information there is stuffed into this book. Makes it feel a little rushed, but it is a fantastic introduction to Japanese art.

[phebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

only 30ish pages trying to cover japanese art history from 1850 to the present day… uh

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't worry three stars is fine. The author has a lot to cover, and you get about two new artists per page, so if you're like me, you will find yourself wishing that you could remember all these names so your reading could be more fruitful.

But the author does a good job of relating the changes in Japan's socio-economics to the differences in materials and attitudes in Japanese art. There were lots of WOW moments when it comes to the art, even though the images are not as good as you can find with a quick google search, but my favorite moment was probably learning about the Japanese pottery movement around the early 1600s. My jaw dropped thinking about how Japanese artists were able to glimpse into something like abstract expressionism.

I also loved the story of Korin Ogata at the picnic. Classic troll.

I hope to get a chance to tighten my focus on some of these periods.

[Minte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really thorough explanation of Japanese art with a few detailed examinations, but Stanley-Baker isn't a very good author and the book's organization was confusing. She knows her stuff but wasn't very good at communicating it. Sometimes it was hard to follow each era of Japanese history, and I had to go back and reread to try to understand her and even use alternate sources to figure out what she was talking about. Also I didn't care for her notation by each picture--it wasn't as comprehensive as other art books.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive survey. I was most interested in the early development with references to Korean and Chinese influences, however the continuing review of later Japanese art forms into the latter half of the 20th century is well-done.
I have an earlier edition from T&H's US publication in 1984.

[Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather difficult to follow at times. Writing needed more clarity. I wish Stanly-Baker would have related Japanese art to more later art movements (see: influence of late Japanese prints on Impressionist and Post Impressionist painters).

[Kafkasfriend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to Japanese art and its development from the stable of T&H

[Tammi Owens]

FALSE

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overall survey, but I was hoping for something a little (or a lot) more comprehensive. While the author does include some astute observations on the culture, I would have liked for the book to be more in-depth throughout. The book does give rise to a lot of questions and opens the gates for further exploration.