Art in Focus: Kanō Hōgai's Two Dragons in Clouds (1885)

Art in Focus: Kanō Hōgai's Two Dragons in Clouds (1885)

Kanō Hōgai's Two Dragons in Clouds (1885) is a striking example of late 19th-century Japanese painting, blending traditional and modern artistic elements. The work features two majestic dragons entwined among swirling clouds, a motif that draws heavily from Chinese and Japanese mythological iconography

Exploring Religion in Japanese Art

Exploring Religion in Japanese Art

Religion has had a profound influence on Japanese art, shaping its aesthetics, symbolism, and practices over centuries. The two dominant religious traditions in Japan—Shinto and Buddhism—along with other belief systems such as Confucianism, have deeply influenced various forms of artistic expression in Japan, from painting and sculpture to architecture and ritual objects.