Visions of the Land in Japan

Representing the land we live in is a practice shared across the world. In Japan, artists created a large body of landscape imagery that ranged from indigenous yamato-style depictions to portrayals of nature that incorporated Chinese and later Euro-American ideas and techniques.

When Zen Buddhist monks introduced Chinese ink painting to Japan around 1300, the new art form offered a fresh approach. Chinese paintings became prized collectibles for Buddhist temples and for the ruling class, and served as indispensable models for Japanese artists who aspired to master painting with ink and brush.

Over the centuries that followed, Japanese artists developed singular visions of their land, which encompassed idealized, imaginary views and true-to-life renditions. More influences arrived in the 1550s through encounters with Euro-American art, providing another source of inspiration for these artists’ expanding horizons.

Drawing from the collection, including some recent gifts, the museum here presents Japanese paintings and ceramics that span more than five hundred years—from 1500s to the present. These works not only showcase the evolution and expansion of artistic expressions of the land in Japan but also supply glimpses into Japan’s shifting cultural and social landscapes.