Biohistory Jyournal, Spring, 2005

Research: Index > Observation and expression

[Living creatures in Japanese culture] Observation and expression

Okyo Maruyama(1733-95,Japanese painter) gained a perspective of natural history from intellectuals, used it to represent nature, and incorporated his own observations and knowledge in his paintings. People who looked at his paintings must have felt the beauty of life, and the wonder of biological diversity. In the Edo period of Japan, knowledge was transmitted through people and pictures work and so on, in this way. We also want to exchange of knowledge between contemporary science and art.

There are traditional pictures of a title called Hyakuchozu (Pictures of about 100 birds, or 100 butterflies), Hyakazu (Pictures of 100 flowers), Gunchuzu(Pictures of various kind of insects), Kaizukushi(Pictures of various kind of shellfishes), etc. in Japan. It draws many things of same class. These also include the meaning of "lucky implication". There is significance in including a multitude of things in one scene. It is not big a problem that butterflies and moths which feed on differed plants and are active at different period, are painted on one screen of the picture Hyakuchozu (100 butterflies)*.For example, Hyakutyouzu which Okyo Maruyama drew is scene made by his imagination, but it is full of the actual feeling. It's a result of his detail sketches and composition.     For example, suppose that the Hyakutyozu painted by the technique of depicting different time periods in the same picture. It is possible that he painted all various butterflies observed from spring to summer. And, linking the same types of butterfly on the screens with a line could lead one to think of their course of flight from flower to flower.     One of the charms of the picture is skillful mixture of reality and imagination. We are sure that Okyo have observed many butterflies outdoors, and having sketched it.     It is rare for a painting to depict the natural form of butterflies as the main element without being anthropomorphized or made into a pattern. The hyakutyouzu is the result of contact of natural science and art, also result of mixture of observation and expression.     What would painting from nature be like in the 21st century? We want to express the essence of life based on contemporary biology. Because,activities of biohistory include expression in science. We seek a new expression of life(nature),and learn also from spirit of Okyo Maruyama.

* The Hyakuchozu (hundred butterflies,1775) by Okyo Maruyama is in the collection of the Tokugawa Museum of the Suifu-Meitokukai Foundation. A spring flower and various butterflies (about 100 butterflies) are drawn on the picture. The butterflies are so lifelike it seems they would fly away if one stepped into the graceful scene of a warm field in spring with a butterfly net in one hand. The sketch of the butterfly which became the origin of The Hyakuchozu is also existing(Sketch of Butterflies by Okyo Maruyama, from his sketchbook. Edo period.Mid-19th century Tokyo national museum).

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