Art Analysis of Sesshu's Winter landscape.

 

The artwork above was made by Sesshu Toyo, a Monk who practiced strictly with Sumi-e or ink painting. He would make the ink with soot and resin; this practice was said to have tried to use the least number of strokes as possible. Sesshu made this painting in the 1470s somewhere in the old providences of Japan.  I chose this piece of art for my analysis because I enjoy the hills/ Mountains with snow; they remind me of where I'm from. Sesshu's work in this piece showed Contrast, Line, and Values. He uses Contrast by his ability to use black and white to put an emphasis on how rough the winter was. He uses his line work in jagged patterns throughout his ink painting. I think this was his way of depicting the ice. He uses his values to give a sense of weight to the winter as if it; 's long and cold but seems to be never-ending. 

Comments

  1. Grace BurnsSeptember 21, 2023 at 6:07 PM

    Hey Cayla, It’s really interesting how he used ink to portray a mountain scape and snow. I can see how the soot caused a shaded effect on the image which mades it look cold and how the hard lines make it look jagged and icy. Your description of the piece really helped me see the landscape in a new light.

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  2. Tory R.September 21, 2023 at 10:01 PM

    Hello Cayla, this is a beautiful piece to be inspired by. The use of line and the contrast of light and dark highlights the bold features of the artwork like the depth of the valley where shadows fall upon the mountainside, the distance from the peaks to the foreground, and the sheen of snow all around the painting. It is a quiet, cold, and lonesome theme, but it captures the pristine and raw atmosphere of a moment in a wintery, wondrous world. Where did you first see this picture? Do you have a particular interest in Japanese works?

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