Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
18
AnnaKatarzynaMaleszko
ill.10.DaikokuandEbisu-godsofgoodfortune,19thc.,
ivorynetsuke
ill.11.sanoTakeo,TigerSpring,ca.1960,watercolour
ill.12.KatsushikaHokusai,Restingtraveller(thepoet
saigyō),ca.1830,inkonpaper,verticalscroll,
NationalMuseuminWarsaw
Insuchworks,wearedealingwithasincerestate-
ment,withbeauty,andthoughitisabeautyun-
derstoodsomewhatdifferently,itisstilllegibleand
deeplymovinglTheoftenmodestworksareable
totellusmuchmoreabouttheworldandourselves
thanthecontrived“creations”thatultimatelyprove
hollowl(illl10,11,12)
Anotherthingthatattractsusisthereversed
hierarchyinFarEasternartlForcenturies,inEu-
ropeanart,humanstookandstilltakecentrestagel
InJapaneseart,however,thespotlightmaybeon
acamelliablossom,abutterfly,abladeofgrassor
acicadal
EventhoughtheJapaneseconceptionofaes-
theticrulesisfundamentallydifferentfromclassical
Europeanmodels,Japaneseaestheticssomehowap-
pealdeeplytoEuropeanslInancientGreece,beauty
wascloselytiedtonotionslikestrength,wealthand
grandiositylThisformulaisovertlyevidentinthe
mythofthejudgementofParis:Heraoffersthe
youngmanpower,Athena-victoryoverallhis
adversaries,andAphrodite-themostbeautiful
womanlTheimplicationisclear:power,strength
andlovearenaturallyinterwovenwiththecategory
ofbeautylForcenturies,inourEuropeancultural
circles,thebeautycanonsevolvingintheMedi-
terraneanbasinwerethebe-all-and-end-all,fixed
andpracticallytranscendentl“Divine”beautywas
reflectedinperfectshapesbasedonharmonious
proportions,symmetryandcompletenessl
