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| Thomas Moran - Moonlight Seascape |
Saturday, April 2, 2022
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Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyamadera Temple, based on the print The Moon at Ishiyama, from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi- Ishiyama no tsuki) ca. 1892
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| Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyamadera Temple, based on the print The Moon at Ishiyama, from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi- Ishiyama no tsuki) ca. 1892 |
To create the compendium of one hundred images of famous moonlit scenes that inspired his print series, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi combed literature and legend for inspiration. The scene of Murasaki at her desk, about to begin writing her monumental tale, was an obvious choice, having been depicted by artists of every school. His painted rendition of the setting, however, diverges from the usual one. Rather than show a view of Lake Biwa, he depicted the outcrops of wollastonite stone surrounding Ishiyamadera (Stony Mountain Temple). From the main hall of the temple, there actually is no direct vista of the lake or vantage point with such craggy features, but the references are clear.
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Ippolito Caffi - Venice, View of the Molo looking West towards La Salute, 1850
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| Ippolito Caffi - Venice, View of the Molo looking West towards La Salute, 1850 |
While the legacy of the great Venetian master Canaletto (1697–1768) is amply displayed in Caffi's work, as is evident in this beautiful homage to eighteenth-century view painting, Caffi's distinct contribution was to modernize the genre by selecting novel viewpoints and capturing different times of day and night. Here, in sharp perspective, Caffi has rendered the Molo, looking west, with the pinkish façade of the Ducal Palace on the right; towards the center, the two columns and the entrance to the Piazzetta; and beyond, the Library, its ground-floor arcades softly lit; on the left, across the water, silhouetted against the moonlit sky are the Dogana and the domes and bell towers of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. Animated with figures and small craft moored along the quay, this atmospheric painting encompasses many of Venice’s most important landmarks to create a remarkable view of the city.
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