Night Attack on Sanjo Palace: Kamakura Period Art - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace is the works explaining what happened during the Heiji Rebellion. It originally occurred during 1250-1300 C.E (Coaldrake 1996). The events of Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace occurred during the Kamakura period in Japan. The style of art used is full of fascinating colors. The size of the picture is 16.25 by 275.5 inches. Several materials were used to paint the picture (Stavros, 2010). Ink, color, and paper were used. These colors and setting allowed the viewer to try and figure out how the battle was. This design also allows the reader to have a close concentration of the works (Ikeda, Hawaii Press). Medium ink was commonly used in Japan. Fujiwara no Nobuyoris' desire to achieve to seize power drove this gruesome event that leads to the abduction of the retired emperor as well as the current emperor.

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The pictures depict a series of events that happened during the battle between the Minamoto and Taira. Flames engulf the palace, horses in battle, warriors killing an animal by cutting their heads. Images of soldiers with heavy weapons indicated the power which was carried in the whole battle (Stavros, 2010). Few people are seen running away from the confusion brought about by the effects of war by the warriors. A close view indicates activities in the picture moves from right to left. Multiple characters appearing more than once shows who the main characters in the story are. The paints indicate the growth of violence as carts collide, stabbings, decapitations, and hacking (Ikeda, 2018). The climax of the war takes place in the palace. It is explained by rooflines slashing through the havoc like a bolt of lightning, which is presided by an explosion of huge flames. Women try to escape to save their lives as the danger looming.

As chaos continues, other people try to flee using the rear gate. Still, they meet another group of a soldier and ends in grisly, strange calm with the dressed and marked heads of defeated aristocracies on pikes, a disorganized group of foot and horse soldiers near the ox carriage, their general hurrying before them in triumphant satisfaction over the smoking wreckage and bloody massacre left behind. Those who support Taira are murdered (Huntington, 2018). With time, calm is brought back, a group of warriors in the company of Fujiwara and Minamoto Yoshitomo comes round the Go-Shirakawas' cart in a show of victory (Stavros 2010). Emphasis is created on the focal point through the use of the zig-zag, and the three-dimensional shape of the palace appears as if to distinguish, at the center of the scroll (Ikeda, 2018). The extreme contrast between the dark roof of the palace and lighter vibrant orange swirls of flame engulfing it to the left, which stresses the focal point.The above description of events indicates the flow of activities to the point when the emperor is kidnapped. It is shown through the flow of activities as the battle starts from the right side of the scroll and continues to the left (Huntington, 356). The use of more diagonal lines which separates different phase. Contrasting colors are used to bring more emphasis on certain phases of the work and also paint the aerial view of the activities. The iconography used is used to show the brutal activities used by Fujiwara to Nobuyori and his warriors to show their dominance through might to win the war. I believe that this work is a success, as it successfully depicts what happened at Sanjo Palace in detail (Coaldrake 1996). The works have been to explain the main characters which ruled in the old traditional order (Huntington, 356). The order of seniority starts with the emperors, followed by former emperors. Fujiwara ministers and Military clan warriors follow them. The painting of the works is much straightforward to explain how the events flow. The rulers in Heian focused on their issues leading them to forget their responsibilities of governing the country. Through these works, Samurai leaders later became the center of power in Japan. The two most powerful clan that is Minamoto and the Taira battled for domination, their struggle to rule led to the important source of knowledge to Art and Literature.

The hand-Scroll is a good example of Otoko-e, also known as "men's paintings," which shows the military scenes indicating the military brutality. Other than the attack on the emperor. The abductors attack the house of Michinori. They set it in the fire while killing everybody that was inside (Huntington, 356). Michinori is the only one that is left alive, but he is also captured and decapitated in sometimes later.

The majority of the explanations of these arts were delivered through stencils. Hence, they used simple lines and simulated information. It appears to be erratically confirmation, but it is carefully planned with the most important factors and rituals at the center. Besides, the paintings use bright colors to make the images to be seen (Ikeda, 2018). The majority of the images, such as horses, warriors, dancers, hunters, buffaloes, have been placed strategically to show the sense of power and motion in the picture. It is a contextual/socio-cultural way of presenting the life of Japanese life during the oldest ruling time. In one of the oldest methods to solve conflicts, in the 12th century, nobles, together with by then-current and retired emperors, converted to Samurai Clans in a bid to resolve their differences.

The goal of writing this paper is to enable a better understanding of the details and intricacies behind hand-scrolls created during the Kamakura period in the 13th century in Japan. This period was marred with violent scenes of violence, which lead to the killing and destruction of properties. Destruction of properties was a result of bitter rivals between the clan members.

It is important to use the critical theory as it helps in guiding while analyzing the work-night Attack at the Sanjo Palace analyzing starts from interpreting the colors used in the images. Later, the lines the images are used to describe different meaning in the whole setting. Motions and movement are also critically analyzed to explain the right to left motions (Ikeda,2018). Heavy colors and big images of the warriors have been explained critically to indicate the power of the conflict as a whole. Critical theory has been used to indicate the effects of war. As leaders pursue their selfish act of achieving power, there is the destruction of property and loss of lives.

In another setting, this paper aims to try and relate the changes that occur over time, from the oldest time and modest Japan in terms of religion and culture. Through the old Japan, modern Japan is created. The rich culture contributes to a large number of tourists visiting the country (Blair, 820). The explanation of the painting is used to captivate the mind of the tourist's thorough explanation of the real happenings on the Night Attack at the Sanjo Palace (Blair, 830). This painting was sold at the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, which restricted so many Shoshoni and exposed them to their culture. The rich Japanese culture is a source of revenue for the Government. Hence, critically assessing the painting help in the preservation of fine arts that be lost without care. Criticality helps in systematically studying the paper.

Bibliography

Blair, S. (2017). Illustrating History: Rashid al-Din and his Compendium of Chronicles. Iranian Studies, 50(6), 819-842.

Coaldrake, William Howard. Architecture and authority in Japan. Psychology Press, 1996.Huntington, Y. P., (2018). Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics: Collaboration with Nobuo Tsuji and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Art Inquiries, 17(3), 356.

Ikeda, A. (2018). The Politics of Painting: Fascism and Japanese Art during the Second World War. University of Hawaii Press.Stavros, Matthew. "The Sanjo bomon Temple-Palace Complex: The First Locus of Ashikaga Authority in Medieval Kyoto." Nichibunken Japan Review (2010): 3-29.