Night in paintings (Eastern art)
Some artworks which involve religious or fantasy topics use the quality of dim night light to create mysterious atmospheres.
Early oriental artists created works that focused on design and spiritual interpretation of their subjects rather than realistic, three-dimensional representations.
Traditional Chinese artists sought to capture the interrelated, vast and multifaceted aspects of nature here are on earth and in the heavens.
From the article "The Great Art of China's 'Soundless Poems'", Heaven appears "before us only this bright shining mass; but in its immeasurable extent, the sun, the moon, stars and constellations are suspended in it, and all things are embraced under it.
"[3]: 52–53 Night scenes, not otherwise distinguishable from daytime in Chinese art, include candles, light emanating from a building, the moon, or lake mists.
Almost 500 legendary tales written by Pu Songling are compiled in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio or Liaozhai Zhiyi.
The tales, inspired by oral storytelling, include strong mythical characters like ghosts, immortals, beasts and foxes.
They also offer commentary about people, particularly the privileged and court officials, whose human frailties may result in unfair, unjust and other unfavorable treatment to others.
[10] Artists, like Su Shi used their skills in calligraphy (the art of beautiful writing) to make ink paintings that expressed ideas based upon the philosophies of Chinese dynasties and Confucius.
Leading up to the building is a line of candles specially placed near the blossoming crab apple trees – to "illuminate their beauty".
[3]: 45 The poem by 11th century poet Su Shi that inspired Ma Lin is: My fear is that in the depth of night, The flowers will fall asleep and depart.
It is believed that this painting was made in response to a request by emperor Li Yu to Gu,[15][16] following Han's declination of an offer to be prime minister.
The moon's "waxing and waning", also used as the basis of the Japanese lunar calendar, could illustrate what time of the month an event occurred and ascribe a manner in which it was to be interpreted, such as the character's loneliness.
[19][nb 6] In Gravemarker Moon, the famous poet Ono no Komachi meditates on the arrogance and heartlessness she displayed to her suitors as a young beauty.
[citation needed] Wang Changling is the name of the poet who wrote: "The night is still and a hundred flowers are fragrant in the western palace.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Night Rains, of the 8 Famous Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, is "a venerable theme in both Chinese and Japanese painting".
[22] Many of the settings were warm relational studies, such as Night Rain at the Double-Shelf Stand which includes a parlor scene with two young women and a boy.
[20] Buddhism was an important part of Korean art since about the time of the Unified Silla period when there was a desire to be open to other religions.
In the 14th century, a work was made of Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara,[23] a compassionate and wise bodhisattva who wears a halo as a sign of his divinity and has waves of water splashing his feet.
[26] Although there are a number of schools that taught painting during India's history, there is great similarity among them to evoke charming, romantic scenes.
[28] Rao Bhoj Singh Stalking a Tiger at Night is a painting attributed to the Hada Master of the Kota school.
[38] Smith, author of Arts in Korea, writes: "His abode, the Brahma heaven, was construed as a place of pleasure, populated with heroes, entertainers and musicians."
In Kuniyoshi's time, it was believed that when a girl visited a temple after dark, she took the risk of being greeted by an old woman who would offer her to stay the night.
