ART OF THE NONWESTERN WORLD
LOOKING AT THE DIVERSITY OF EXPRESSIONS FROM THE
GREAT CIVILIZATIONS OF NON -WESTERN CULTURES
NON-WESTERN VS WESTERN
• Western art encompasses art from North America
and Europe
• Non Western art is essentially everything elsecomprising of art from Africa, Middle East, South
America, Asia and everything else
• There are fundamental differences between the
two that must be understood
IN THIS UNIT:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multitude of perspectives
India
China
Japan
Southeast Asia
Oceania and Highland Asia
The world of Islam
Sub-Saharan Africa
Pre-Columbian art
Native America
MULTITUDE OF PERSPECTIVES
• Traditional non-western art frequently contains
functional, religious and decorative aims.
• The enormous variety of visual endeavors from
cultures around the world reflect both the
differences and similarities among humankind.
SO WHY DISCUSS WESTERN AND NON
WESTERN AT ALL?
• It’s a way to simplify art history so you can begin to
learn how it developed.
• Most of what you have seen, and the majority of
the art that you have probably been exposed to,
has been that of Western culture.
• The study of a multitude of cultures enriches,
enlightens and expands
WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS SEPARATED
LIKE IT IS?
STUDY
• Ma Yuan
• Bare Willows and
Distant Mountains
• Ink on silk/ fan
• 12th century
• Ando Hiroshige
• Hodogaya Station
• 1832-1834
• Areogun
• Door from Palace at
Ikerre
EVALUATION
• What do all of these art pieces entail?
• What visual images in America today reveal
information about people’s existence?
• In addition to paintings and sculpture, where else
do we see images on a daily basis?
• Would these visual forms deepen a non-western
visitor’s understanding of American life? How?
UNDERSTANDING NON WESTERN ART
• In non Western societies, art has many purposes
including magic, worship, status and politics.
• Much of the artwork produced has a basis in
religion- symbols and motifs.
• Symbol- shape, object, picture that stands for
something
• Motif- recurring images that hold significance in the
piece
RELIGION AND NON WESTERN ART
• Because it is such a major part of non Western art,
no understanding of art from these cultures would
be complete without understanding the religions
• The more you know about what shaped the art, the
more you can understand and appreciate it.
• *****What are the big 4 religions of the world?
MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
RELIGION: QUICK OVERVIEW
Between 12 and 19 major world religions
Each of these is broken down into smaller subgroups
Every civilization also developed religious practices
Based on worship of nature: planets, animals, fertility
etc
• Western art typically depicts Christianity and ideas
that reflect the Judeo-Christian tradition
• Many other religions- Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto,
Bah’ai, Sikhism- all influence their respective areas in
non-western art
•
•
•
•
HINDUISM
• Originated in ancient India around 2000 BC
• Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the
Destroyer
• In art, Brahma appears in white robes, often shown with
4 heads- Vedas, carries a scepter
• Vishnu holds a discus, conch shell, mace and lotus.
• Shiva often entwined in snakes with a headdress of skulls,
sometimes dances around fire
• Gave order to the universe- 3 zones- earth, middle
space and sky
• Animals and humans often used to depict power within
these zones
HINDU ART
The Descent of the River Ganges from
Heaven
10th century
Mamallapuram, India
Dancing and active
human figures
represent the source
of life. Elephants
symbolize the power
of nature, have
mythological ability to
call upon the clouds
to produce rain. Due
to the size differences,
nature is shown as
much more powerful
than humanity. Gods
portrayed as more
important than
humans. Different
registers correspond
with social castes
ruled over by king
with divine power.
HINDU ART
The portrait of Rama, (Basohli style,
Pahari, circa 1730)
HINDU ART
• King Dasaratha and His Retinue
Proceed to Rama's Wedding:
Folio from the Shangri II
Ramayana Series
• Artist: Bahu Masters (active ca.
1680–ca. 1720)
• Date: ca. 1690–1710
• Culture: India (Bahu, Jammu)
• Medium: Opaque watercolor
and ink on paper
• Dimensions: Page: 8 5/8 x 12
1/2 in. (21.9 x 31.8 cm) Image: 7
3/4 x 11 5/8 in. (19.7 x 29.5 cm)
• Classification: Paintings
• Credit Line: Purchase, The
Dillon Fund, Evelyn Kranes
Kossak, and Anonymous Gifts,
1994
BUDDHISM
• Emerged in India in the 6th
century BC as a Hindu
reform movement
• Founded by Buddhaenlightenment through
meditation
• Major teachings- charity to
all creatures, equality of all
beings and the practice of
moderation
• Goal- achieve nirvana, final
state of eternal bliss
• Bronze and wood figures of
Buddha most prevalent
• Mahayana Buddhism- salvation
of souls and importance of
saints- bodhisattvas- believers
who had achieved
enlightenment but chose not
to enter nirvana but to remain
and help struggling mortals
• Avaloketisvara, known in China
as Guan Yin and in Japan as
Kannon- goddess of mercy with
meditative countenance and
reassuring confidence
• Introduced in Japan in 6th
century
• Several forms of Buddhism in
Japan
• Zen Buddhism -14th century
BUDDHIST ART
• Nyoirin Kannon
(Bodhisattva)
• 645-647
• Nara Period
• Bronze
• Oka-Der-a Temple,
Nara, Japan
BUDDHIST ART
• Jizo is a compassionate
deity
• 8th century
• Concerned with needs of
suffering humanity and
patron saint of children
• Usually shown as a simple
monk
• Jizo Bosatsu
• 12th century
• Wood
• Late Heian period
• Japan
BUDDHIST ART
• Torso of a Bodhisattva
• Artist: Probably Sahri-Bahlol
Workshop
• Date: ca. 5th century
• Culture: Pakistan (ancient
region of Gandhara,
mondern Peshawar region)
• Dimensions: H. 64 1/2 in.
(163.8 cm)
• Classification: Sculpture
• Credit Line: Purchase, Lila
Acheson Wallace Gift, 1995
ISLAM
• Much of Asia dominated by
Islam
• Founded by prophet
Mohammed
• In a vision, told that he was
messenger of Allah, the one
god.
• Mohammed received his
revelations in Mecca, city in
Saudi Arabia in the 7
century
• Spiritual writings of
Mohammed contained in
the Koran, sacred book of
Moslems
• Major teachings- way to
Allah lies in learning the
sacred writings and in
service to him
• Islam forbids use of religious
images of any kind
• Religious sculptures can not
depict human figures,
however miniature pictures
are allowed to include men
and women as illustrations
for tales about successful
Islamic rulers, their loves and
their adventures
• Representational art was
done principally in service of
rulers
• Themes of power and
courtly life most prevalent
ISLAMIC ART
• Shah Nama (Book
of Kings)
• Illustrated history
• 16th century
• Watercolor on
paper
ISLAMIC ART
• Mosque Lamp for the
Mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al'Ala'i al-Bunduqdar
• Object Name: Mosque lamp
• Date: shortly after 1285
• Geography: Egypt, probably
Cairo
• Culture: Islamic
• Medium: Glass, brownish;
blown, folded foot, applied
handles; enameled and gilded
• Dimensions: H. 10 3/8 in. (26.4
cm) Diam. of rim 8 1/4 in. (21
cm)
• Classification: Glass
• Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont
Morgan, 1917
ISLAMIC ART
• Maker: Zain(?) Hasan Sulaiman
Isfahani
• Object Name: Qur'an stand
• Date: dated A.H. 761/A.D. 1360
• Geography: Iran or Central
Asia
• Culture: Islamic
• Medium: Wood (teak); carved,
painted, and inlaid
• Dimensions: W. (when closed)
16 1/8 in. (41 cm) H. (when
closed) 51 1/4 in. (130.2 cm)
Dimensions when open: H. 45
in. (114.3 cm) W. 50 in. (127 cm)
D. 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm)
• Classification: Wood
DISCUSS
• Using three words, how would you describe the
personalities of the people portrayed in the previous
works?
• What characteristics do they exhibit that seem to
be valued by their cultures?
MAJOR DIFFERENCES: MEDIA
• Western painters tend to work within a frame, but
many non-western artists work on screens and
scrolls
• Materials used include stone, brick, wood, paint
and clay
• Non-western artists also use bark, glass, silk, hide,
stone, textiles and lost-wax casting more frequently
than western artists
• Much non-western art is also made of perishable
items, feathers, flowers, leather, grass, bark and
shells
MAJOR DIFFERENCES: COLOR
• Over centuries, western artists have used color differently
• Roman and Renaissance painters used realistic colors
• Impressionists dabbed in color as it was reflected from
objects, scientific approach
• Expressionists used color to symbolize feelings and
emotions
• Asian painting examples of non-western art- color is
arbitrary
• Monochromatic colors, typically only using color for
emphasis
• Wood cuts- color kept flat
• Color and value, in non-western art, typically not used
together to describe form
MAJOR DIFFERENCES: PERSPECTIVE
• Perspective was approached very
differently in the East and West
• Perspective- shows realistic spatial
relationships of objects in drawing or
painting
• Western- converging lines to show
perspective
• Non-western- three planes, foreground,
middle distance and far distance- each
parallel to the picture plane
• Eye moves back, but doesn’t converge
• Aerial perspective- details in back look less
distinct
• X-ray views- internal parts can be seen at
same time as exterior, depicting more that
surface
COMPARE
Shen Chou
Landscape in the Style of Ni Tsan
1484 Ink
Raphael
School of Athens
1503-1513 Fresco
DISCUSS
• Who are Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva? How
are they represented in
Hindu art?
• How do we know that
artists considered
nature more powerful
than humans?
• Who are Jizo and
Avaloketisvara? How
are they usually
represented in Buddhist
art? Why?
• Explain the relationship
between Islam,
Mohammed and the
Koran.
• Why are there no
sculptures in Islamic
mosques?
• On what did traditional
Chinese and Japanese
artists usually paint?
• Describe the use of
color in Asian paintings.