Heian Wall
Munakata Shikō, one of the most highly acclaimed Japanese painters and woodblock print artist of the twentieth century, created this small painting during a visit to New York in 1967, when the Asia Society was hosting an exhibition entitled “Japanese Arts of the Heian Period.” The artist did not create many such works, yet it encapsulates both his distinctive, brusque way of wielding a brush, and at the same time his own deep commitment to traditional Buddhist art. It shows one of the displays from the exhibition of a seated Buddha, presented as if on a real altar.
Munakata’s early prints were discovered in the mid-1930s by the prominent art critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961), who was an advocate for mingei, or “folk art,” which he saw as embodying two quintessential aspects of Japanese art: a deep respect for the materiality of the medium and a bold, direct, unselfconscious mode of expression. Munakata’s mingei approach was further enhanced by his immersion in Zen Buddhist philosophy as well as by his fascination with European experiments in Post-Impressionist art—van Gogh, whom he idolized, as well as the German Expressionists—which enabled him to create an entirely new style of Japanese woodcut that propelled him to international fame.
Munakata’s early prints were discovered in the mid-1930s by the prominent art critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961), who was an advocate for mingei, or “folk art,” which he saw as embodying two quintessential aspects of Japanese art: a deep respect for the materiality of the medium and a bold, direct, unselfconscious mode of expression. Munakata’s mingei approach was further enhanced by his immersion in Zen Buddhist philosophy as well as by his fascination with European experiments in Post-Impressionist art—van Gogh, whom he idolized, as well as the German Expressionists—which enabled him to create an entirely new style of Japanese woodcut that propelled him to international fame.
Artwork Details
- 棟方志功筆 平安の壁
- Title: Heian Wall
- Artist: Munakata Shikō (Japanese, 1903–1975)
- Period: Shōwa period (1926–1989)
- Date: 1967
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 13 11/16 × 13 5/16 in. (34.8 × 33.8 cm)
Overall with mounting: 48 13/16 × 13 5/16 in. (124 × 33.8 cm)
Overall with knobs: 48 13/16 × 22 5/16 in. (124 × 56.7 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.853.36
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Munakata Shikō
1958
Munakata Shikō
1939/1948 (blocks carved), 1960 (printed)
Munakata Shikō
1939/1948 (blocks carved), 1960 (printed)
Munakata Shikō
1939/1948 (blocks carved), 1960 (printed)
Munakata Shikō
1939/1948 (blocks carved), 1960 (printed)
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.