Gods and Goblins: Japanese Folk Paintings from Otsu

by McArthur, Meher

• ISBN13: 9781877921162
• ISBN10: 1877921165
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-01-01
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr

Summary

The unknown painters of the small town of Otsu, Japan, created a painting genre versatile enough to survive for more than three centuries and appealing enough to enter into literature, theater, dance, song, and the work of mainstream artists. Gods and Goblins presents Otsu-e as a tradition that has continually reinvented itself in response to social changes and is still alive today.

In the early 17th century artists in Otsu began producing inexpensive paintings to sell as souvenirs to travelers who passed through the town on the great highway known as the Tokaido, or Eastern Sea Route, which linked Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). These folk paintings depict gods, humans, animals, and supernatural beings in humorous and often satirical situations, and are characterized by lively, spontaneous brushstrokes and an unsophisticated charm and humor.

Table of Contents

Director's Foreword	7	(1)
Author's Preface	8	(3)
Introduction: What Are Otsu-e?	11	(4)
Otsu-e as Buddhist Art	15	(4)
Otsu-e as Secular Paintings	19	(17)
Otsu-e Outgrow their Medium	36	(21)
Maintaining the Tradition	57	(17)
Notes	74	(2)
Select Bibliography of Works in English	76	(1)
Bibliography of Works in Japanese	76	(3)
Exhibition Checklist	79	(3)
Appendix One: A List of Subjects Featured in Otsu-e	82	(3)
Appendix Two: A Translation of Common Otsu-e Inscriptions	85	(7)
Appendix Three: A List of Known Works Featuring Otsu-e by Mainstream Artists	92