Crescent Moon with Bridge and Waterfall, 1850s
Yumiharizuki. Bow shaped moon. Bridge spanning a steep canyon with a crescent moon visible between the canyon walls. Since ancient times the Japanese have contemplated the combination of snow, flowers, moon, and the beauties of nature. And not only have they contemplated such scenes, they've also made them favored themes for paintings and poetry. The symbolic meaning of the moon is closely tied to the act of rejuvenation. Ukiyo-e (picture of the floating world) is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Ukiyo-e was central to forming the West's perception of Japanese art in the late 19th century.The landscape genre has come to dominate Western perceptions of ukiyo-e, though ukiyo-e had a long history preceding these late-era masters. The Japanese landscape differed from the Western tradition in that it relied more heavily on imagination, composition, and atmosphere than on strict observance of nature. Utagawa Hiroshige, 1850s
