Harvard Art Museums "Painting Edo"

Back in February I was lucky enough to go to the opening of the "Painting Edo" exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums.  From the Harvard Art Museums website:

Painting Edo — the largest exhibition ever presented at the Harvard Art Museums — offers a window onto the supremely rich visual culture of Japan’s early modern era. Selected from the unparalleled collection of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg, the more than 120 works in the exhibition connect visitors with a seminal moment in the history of Japan, as the country settled into an era of peace under the warrior government of the shoguns and opened its doors to greater engagement with the outside world. The dizzying array of artistic lineages and studios active during the Edo period (1615–1868) fueled an immense expansion of Japanese pictorial culture that reverberated not only at home, but subsequently in the history of painting in the West.

I have to confess that this is not the type of artwork I gravitate towards.  But I went to this exhibit because I believe that there is immense value in (a) learning about art history, (b) experiencing art -- all kinds of art -- in person, and (c) you never know how your expectations may be challenged and your assumptions proven wrong.  Take a peek:

I particularly liked a wall of fans that were on display.  All of the fans had been removed from their frames and framed.  These were some of my favorites:

I hope you enjoyed this trip to the museum.  I'm not sure if the exhibit will still be up once the museum reopens, but you watch a video about the exhibit:

There are some great shots of artwork from the exhibit that I didn't take photos of, so it's worth a watch and just about 3 minutes long.  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!