🎩Nineteenth Century Art Unit 14 – Non-Western Art in the 19th Century

Historical Context and Cultural Influences

• 19th century marked a period of increased global trade and cultural exchange facilitated by advancements in transportation and communication technologies
• Colonialism and imperialism by Western powers led to the appropriation and suppression of indigenous art forms in many regions (Africa, Asia, Oceania)
• Rise of nationalism and independence movements in colonized countries inspired a resurgence of interest in traditional art forms as expressions of cultural identity
• Industrialization and urbanization in some non-Western societies (Japan, India) created new social and economic conditions that influenced artistic production and patronage
• Exposure to Western art through colonial education systems and international exhibitions introduced new techniques, materials, and styles that were selectively adopted and adapted by non-Western artists
• Traditional religious and philosophical beliefs (Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam) continued to shape artistic practices and aesthetics in many non-Western cultures
  • For example, Islamic art emphasized geometric patterns and calligraphy rather than figurative representation due to religious prohibitions on idolatry
• Cross-cultural encounters and migrations resulted in the emergence of hybrid or syncretic art forms that blended elements from different traditions (Sino-Japanese art, Afro-Brazilian art)

Key Artistic Movements and Styles

• Orientalism: Western artistic movement that romanticized and exoticized the cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia through paintings, prints, and decorative arts
• Japonisme: Western fascination with Japanese art and design that influenced the development of Impressionism, Art Nouveau, and other modernist styles
  • Characterized by asymmetrical compositions, flat color planes, and stylized natural motifs (cherry blossoms, waves)
• Bengal School: Nationalist art movement in India that rejected Western academic realism in favor of a revived interest in traditional Indian painting styles and subjects
  • Led by Abanindranath Tagore and other artists associated with the Santiniketan school founded by Rabindranath Tagore
• Ukiyo-e: Japanese woodblock printing tradition that depicted scenes from everyday life, popular entertainment, and the natural world
  • Influenced by Western linear perspective and shading techniques in the late 19th century (Meiji period)
• Yoruba art: West African tradition that included sculptural portraits, ritual objects, and textiles characterized by stylized naturalism and symbolic imagery
  • Adapted to changing social and political contexts, such as the rise of Christianity and colonialism in Nigeria
• Aboriginal Australian art: Indigenous tradition that encompassed rock art, body painting, and sand drawings used in spiritual and ceremonial contexts
  • Began to be recognized as a distinct art form by Western collectors and scholars in the early 20th century

Major Artists and Their Works

• Hokusai (1760-1849): Japanese ukiyo-e artist known for his woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which included the iconic image The Great Wave off Kanagawa
• Hiroshige (1797-1858): Japanese ukiyo-e artist who specialized in landscape prints that captured the changing seasons and atmospheric effects
  • Influenced by Western perspective and composition techniques introduced during the Meiji period
• Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906): Indian painter who blended European academic realism with Hindu mythological and historical subjects
  • Pioneered the use of oil painting and lithographic reproduction to create widely accessible images of Indian culture and identity
• Aina Onabolu (1882-1963): Nigerian artist who studied in Europe and introduced Western-style naturalism and portraiture to African art
  • Challenged colonial stereotypes of African art as primitive or decorative by depicting African subjects with dignity and individuality
• Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1894-1975): Pakistani artist who developed a distinctive style that combined Mughal miniature painting techniques with Art Nouveau and Islamic calligraphic elements
  • Celebrated for his book illustrations and paintings of Sufi poetry and South Asian folklore
• Jamini Roy (1887-1972): Indian artist who rejected his academic training to create simplified, stylized paintings inspired by Bengali folk art traditions
  • Used flat color planes, bold outlines, and rhythmic patterns to depict rural life, religious themes, and nationalist symbols

Materials and Techniques

• Woodblock printing: Dominant printing technique in East Asia that involved carving an image into a block of wood, inking the surface, and pressing it onto paper or fabric
  • Required specialized skills in carving, inking, and registration to produce multi-colored prints
• Ink painting: Traditional medium in East Asian art that used black or colored inks applied with brushes to absorbent paper or silk
  • Emphasized expressive brushwork, tonal gradations, and negative space to create atmospheric effects and convey spiritual or emotional states
• Miniature painting: Detailed, small-scale painting tradition that flourished in the Islamic world, particularly in Persia and Mughal India
  • Used fine brushes, vibrant pigments, and precious materials (gold, silver) to create intricate compositions on paper or ivory
• Textile arts: Diverse range of techniques used to create patterned or pictorial fabrics, including weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and appliqué
  • Reflected regional variations in materials, motifs, and cultural significance (kente cloth in Ghana, ikat in Southeast Asia)
• Sculpture: Three-dimensional art forms that used a variety of materials (wood, stone, metal, clay) and techniques (carving, casting, modeling) to create figurative or abstract works
  • Often served religious or political functions, such as representing deities, ancestors, or rulers
• Photography: New medium that was introduced to many non-Western cultures through colonial encounters and quickly adopted for documentary, commercial, and artistic purposes
  • Enabled the circulation of images across cultural boundaries and challenged traditional notions of artistic authorship and originality

Themes and Symbolism

• Nature: Recurring theme in many non-Western art traditions that celebrated the beauty, power, and spirituality of the natural world
  • Depicted through stylized or naturalistic representations of plants, animals, and landscapes
• Religion: Central source of inspiration and iconography for much of non-Western art, reflecting the diversity of belief systems and practices across cultures
  • Included images of deities, saints, and sacred sites, as well as symbolic motifs and narratives
• Identity: Art as a means of expressing and asserting cultural, national, or personal identity in the face of colonial domination or social change
  • Manifested through the revival or reinterpretation of traditional art forms, as well as the creation of new styles that blended local and foreign influences
• Power: Art as a tool of political propaganda, social critique, or moral instruction, often commissioned or controlled by ruling elites or religious authorities
  • Ranged from idealized portraits of leaders to satirical or subversive images that challenged the status quo
• Gender: Representation and roles of women and men in art, which varied widely across cultures and historical periods
  • Reflected and reinforced prevailing gender norms and ideologies, but also provided opportunities for resistance or transgression
• Hybridity: Mixing and merging of different cultural influences, styles, and techniques in art, often as a result of cross-cultural encounters, trade, or migration
  • Created new forms of expression that challenged binary distinctions between Western and non-Western, traditional and modern, high and low art

Impact on Global Art Scene

• Expanded the canon of art history beyond the narrow focus on Western European traditions to include a wider range of cultural perspectives and artistic practices
• Challenged Eurocentric notions of aesthetic value, originality, and progress by revealing the sophistication, diversity, and dynamism of non-Western art forms
• Inspired new forms of artistic experimentation and cross-cultural exchange among Western and non-Western artists, particularly in the context of modernist movements (Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism)
  • For example, African masks and sculptures influenced the development of Cubism by Pablo Picasso and other European artists in the early 20th century
• Contributed to the growth of global art markets and collecting practices, as well as the establishment of museums, galleries, and other institutions dedicated to non-Western art
• Raised questions about cultural appropriation, exoticism, and the unequal power relations inherent in the global circulation and reception of art
• Highlighted the importance of understanding art in its specific cultural, historical, and political contexts, rather than imposing universal or essentialist categories of analysis

Challenges to Western Art Norms

• Rejected the primacy of naturalistic representation, linear perspective, and other conventions of Western academic art in favor of more stylized, abstract, or symbolic forms of expression
• Emphasized the spiritual, social, and functional dimensions of art, rather than the purely aesthetic or formalist concerns of much Western art criticism and theory
• Challenged the notion of the individual artist as the sole creator and owner of an artwork, instead recognizing the collective, collaborative, and often anonymous nature of many non-Western art traditions
• Blurred the boundaries between fine art and craft, high art and popular art, and sacred and secular art, which were often more fluid and permeable in non-Western contexts
• Resisted the commodification and decontextualization of non-Western art by Western collectors, museums, and scholars, who often treated these objects as exotic curiosities or aesthetic masterpieces divorced from their original meanings and functions
• Asserted the agency and autonomy of non-Western artists and cultures in the face of colonial domination, cultural imperialism, and global capitalism, through the creation of new forms of art that affirmed their identities and aspirations

Legacy and Contemporary Relevance

• Paved the way for the emergence of modern and contemporary art movements in many non-Western countries, which continue to draw on and transform traditional art forms and techniques
• Influenced the development of postcolonial and decolonial approaches to art history and criticism, which seek to decenter Western perspectives and recover the voices and visions of marginalized or suppressed cultures
• Contributed to the growing recognition and appreciation of non-Western art in international exhibitions, collections, and scholarship, as well as the art market
  • Major museums and galleries have increasingly featured non-Western art in their permanent displays and special exhibitions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas" collection
• Inspired new forms of artistic collaboration, dialogue, and exchange across cultural boundaries, as well as the emergence of global art networks and platforms that challenge the hegemony of Western art centers
• Raised urgent questions about the role of art in addressing pressing global issues, such as climate change, migration, inequality, and cultural identity, which require a more inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to art-making and interpretation
• Highlighted the enduring relevance and vitality of non-Western art traditions in the contemporary world, as well as the need for greater cultural sensitivity, respect, and understanding in the global art community