Founded in 794 as Heian, the “capital of peace and tranquility,” Kyoto has long been one of Japan’s most innovative centers of arts and culture. Yui Suzuki, associate professor of Japanese art at the University of Maryland, explores Kyoto’s artistic, architectural, and cultural treasures and the timeless creative spirit that gives this tradition-rich city its vibrant character.
9:30–10:45 a.m. Kyoto Present and Past
Examine the diverse facets of modern-day Kyoto and its founding in the Heian period (794–1185) and the era’s major religious and aristocratic monuments that were regarded as innovations: the Toji and Jingoji temples and Byodoin Phoenix Hall.
11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. The Birth of Aristocratic Court Culture and Art
Although introduced to Japan from China and Korea, horizontal picture scrolls (emaki) became a major art form during the Heian period, produced primarily for the imperial court and religious institutions. Explore examples of these picture scrolls, as well as the aristocratic court culture that influenced the Japanese painting tradition throughout the medieval period.
12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1:30–2:30 p.m. Karesansui: Kyoto’s Dry-Landscape Gardens
One of the major attractions of Kyoto today are its dry-landscape (karesansui) gardens, often found in prominent Zen Buddhist temples such as Ryoanji and Daisen-in. Examine the tradition, in which contemplative rock gardens offers a contrast to the landscaping that was a major architectural feature of traditional aristocratic mansions.
2:45–4 p.m. Sotatsu, Korin, the Rinpa Style, and Decorative Arts
The resplendent gold folding-screen painting Waves of Matsushima by Tawaraya Sotatsu (act. ca. 1600–1640) is an iconic work that characterizes traditional Japanese painting. The dynamic and innovative compositions found in Sotatsu’s paintings influenced the works of the renowned Kyoto painter Ogata Korin (1658–1716) and many other Rinpa school artists. View some of the major works of Sotatsu and Korin and learn how the Rinpa style was adopted in various decorative arts, such as lacquer ware, textiles, and ceramics.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit
Smithsonian Connections
The Freer and Sackler Galleries’ collection contain numerous works with ties to Kyoto. Take a look at several from the Edo period, which spanned the early 17th through mid-19th centuries, including a Kyoto-ware ceremonial water jar and a tea bowl for the New Year, and a hanging silk painting of winter trees on a steep slope of Arashiyama, a mountain on the banks of the Oi River that was a favorite site for excursions by residents of the city.
