Chinese or Japanese Painting ?????

Posted by: fatcat on 15 October 2012

 

 

I bought a watercolour or print of a watercolour at the weekend.

 

Does anybody know if it's Chinese or Japanese from the style or symbols on the signature.

 

 

 

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by oscarskeeper

Chinese I think

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by totemphile

Definitely Chinese

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by fatcat

Thanks guys. That was quick.

 

Can you translate the inscription.

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by Kevin-W

I can't tell by the script (although it looks more Chinese than Japanese) but stylistically it looks Chinese to me.

 

Japanese art, particularly from the Edo period (Japan's equivalent of the European High renaissance or the art of Classical Athens) makes little effort to place forms in three-dimensional space, as your pic seemingly does. Also you're more likely to come across a Japanese print (from woodblock) than you are an actual painting.

 

So I'd plump for China. Not an expert by any means so I could be talking out of my arse - although I did study art history

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by GraemeH
Originally Posted by Kevin-W:

 

So I'd plump for China. Not an expert by any means so I could be talking out of my ah-soh, although I did study art history

i hope you'll permit a slight contextualising!  G

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by fatcat
Originally Posted by Kevin-W:

I can't tell by the script (although it looks more Chinese than Japanese) but stylistically it looks Chinese to me.

 

Japanese art, particularly from the Edo period (Japan's equivalent of the European High renaissance or the art of Classical Athens) makes little effort to place forms in three-dimensional space, as your pic seemingly does. Also you're more likely to come across a Japanese print (from woodblock) than you are an actual painting.

 

So I'd plump for China. Not an expert by any means so I could be talking out of my arse - although I did study art history

Sounds like you know your Chinese onions.

Posted on: 15 October 2012 by Jasonf
Hi fatcat,

Not as clear cut as one would think. This is a water colour and the caligraphy is chinese...but both the Japanese and Koreans used Chinese characters in their caligraphy. It does not look japanese but it could quite well be Korean.

It's more likely to be Chinese but take note, native Chinese, Korean and Japanese would find it difficult to know based on the above, there are differences in the style of caligraphy, but that's for an expert.

Cheers.
Posted on: 15 October 2012 by fatcat

Thanks Jason.

 

I'll search the web for examples of Korean paintings.

 

I bought the picture, because I quite like it, (although my wife doesn't, apparently it is too big) and I was intrigued by the frame and mount. I've never seen anything like it before. The frame is plain  wood, the mount appears to be woven silk.

 

i haven't removed the picture from the frame, but I don't think it's mounted on a board. The picture appears to be mounted on a wooden lattice.