The Hollow of the Deep Sea Wave off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai. 1820's. Photo: Property of the Minneapolis Art Institute. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Painting is undoubtedly the most popular of all Japanese art forms, and one of the most studied. Japanese painting can be both elegantly simple and stunningly complex, and its influence can be seen in the paintings of all cultures.

The Japanese painting style we know today was greatly influenced by Chinese painting styles. During the Muromachi period (1338-1573), Japan was opened to increased trade with China, and Chinese paintings began making their way into the homes of wealthy Japanese noblemen. The noblemen developed a taste for the Chinese paintings, and began to commission works in this style. Japanese artists didn't copy the Chinese style outright, they blended it with Japanese tastes and made it their own.

In general, Japanese painting of the Muromachi period includes a deep sense of space, and attempts to tell a story. In the succeeding Momoyama period (1573-1603), the traditional style of landscape painting was developed, most often produced on gigantic screens that filled entire rooms. During the Edo period (1603-1867), a new style of painting emerged in which whole pieces were painted with gold leaf backgrounds, producing an effect much like religious mosaics of the Western Medieval period.

It was also during this time period that the Ukiyo-e style of woodblock printing began to emerge. This represented a break from other Japanese art forms, in that woodblock prints were reproducible; a middle-class family could own a copy of a famous piece of art and still have a house to hang it in.

Perhaps it is the sense of space in Japanese paintings that attracts many people to them, the flavor of an ancient aesthetic that pervades each work, or the delicate handling of subtle effects. Exactly what draws so many to Japanese painting is unclear; what is certain is that it is unique and beautiful.