Paper 107: From Nature's Embrace to Nationalistic Fervor: Decoding Masuji Ono's Artistic Odyssey Through His Paintings

This blog is part of assignment of Paper 107: The Twentieth Century Literature: From World War II to the End of the Century.

From Nature's Embrace to Nationalistic Fervor: Decoding Masuji Ono's Artistic Odyssey Through His Paintings

Table of Contents : 

• Personal Information
• Assignment Details
• Introduction
• Historical Background of the "Artist of the Floating World" 
• Masuji Ono's Pursuit of Natural Painting as "Art for Life's Sake"
• Ono's Pursuit of Ukiyo-e Art and the Pleasure District
• Masuji Ono's Complicity with the Takeda Ferm: The Commercialization of Art for Wartime Propaganda
• Ono's Pursuit of Marxist Painting: Depicting the Plight of the Poor
• Conclusion

Personal Information:-

Name:- Dhatri Parmar

Batch:- M.A. Sem 2 (2023-2025)

Enrollment Number:- 5108230032

E-mail Address:-dhatriparmar291@gmail.com

Roll Number:- 7

Assignment Details:-

Topic:-From Nature's Embrace to Nationalistic Fervor: Decoding Masuji Ono's Artistic Odyssey Through His Paintings

Paper 107: The Twentieth Century Literature: From World War II to the End of the Century

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar

Date of Submission:- April 26, 2024

Introduction :

"An Artist of the Floating World" is an important novel by the celebrated British author Kazuo Ishiguro, who won the Nobel Prize. It was published in 1986. The story is told from the perspective of Masuji Ono, an elderly artist looking back at his life and career after World War II ended in Japan.

In his younger years, Ono was a famous and well-regarded painter. He was part of a group of official artists who created artworks that promoted nationalism and glorified the military during World War II. Their aim was to inspire patriotism among the Japanese people during the war.

However, after the war ended, Japanese society rejected the nationalist propaganda and militarism that Ono's artworks had supported. Ono's own son-in-law has become distant from him, feeling resentment towards his father's role in creating that propaganda.

Masuji Ono was a Japanese painter. His paintings tell a fascinating story about how art and Japan changed throughout the 1900s. This paper will explore Ono's artistic journey, looking at the different styles he used and the reasons behind them. We'll see how his paintings reflected the big events happening in Japan at the time.

Historical Background of the "Artist of the Floating World" :

The Edo period in Japan, lasting from 1603 to 1868, was a time of prolonged peace and economic prosperity under the Tokugawa shogunate. This stability allowed for the development of an urban culture centered around entertainment and fleeting pleasures, known as the "floating world" or ukiyo in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). 

The ukiyo-e art movement emerged during this era, producing renowned woodblock prints that captured the beauty of kabuki actors, courtesans, landscapes, and scenes from the city's pleasure districts. Major ukiyo-e artists like Utamaro, Hiroshige, and Hokusai masterfully depicted the impermanent delights and decadence enjoyed by the merchant class through their iconic works.

The Hirohito dynasty refers to the reign of Emperor Hirohito, who led Japan from 1926 to 1989, a period spanning World War 2. As the 124th Emperor in an unbroken imperial line dating back centuries, Hirohito held immense symbolic importance. Though constrained by political forces, he supported Japanese nationalism and militarism in the pre-war years, including the invasions of Manchuria and China. (“History of Japan - Shintoism, Buddhism, Samurai”)

In the lead-up to World War II, Japanese militarist governments actively promoted nationalism through art and propaganda. Traditional artists inspired by the ukiyo-e style were commissioned by the state to create works glorifying the military, emperor worship, and Japan's territorial ambitions. These idealized images frequently depicted patriotic soldiers, industrial development, and the supposed divinity of the emperor – all aimed at stirring public sentiment. This government-sponsored propaganda art sought to instill values such as filial piety, self-sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty to the imperial cause among the populace.

However, after Japan's defeat in World War 2, much of this nationalist propaganda art became discredited as Japanese society rejected the militarism it had promoted. Artists who had contributed their talents to this nationalistic project, like the fictional Masuji Ono in Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, had to grapple with the complicated legacy of their works.

Masuji Ono's Pursuit of Natural Painting as "Art for Life's Sake" :

 

Early on, Ono was drawn to a style called naturalism, which originated in the West. This type of art focused on the beauty of nature and everyday life. Ono's paintings from this period show his deep appreciation for the natural world. He used careful brushstrokes to capture peaceful landscapes, colorful plants, and the calmness of daily life. His paintings create a feeling of balance between people and nature. Ono has passion for his painting due to the fact that he resisted his father’s wish to join the business. These paintings are examples of the Naturalistic painting of Japan.

Ono's Pursuit of Ukiyo-e Art and the Pleasure District :

The concept of Ukiyo originally held a somber connotation within Japanese culture. Rooted in Buddhist philosophy, it signified the fleeting and impermanent nature of life. However, a significant shift occurred during the Edo period (1603-1868). The character for "floating" was substituted for the homophone meaning "transitory," resulting in a transformation of Ukiyo's meaning. This linguistic change reflected a burgeoning cultural emphasis on joie de vivre, a celebration of life's pleasures.

This newly embraced hedonism, centered on enjoying the "floating world," found its most prominent expression in the widespread production of woodblock prints. These affordable artworks brought captivating imagery to the masses.Previously unseen, these prints depicted scenes of alluring courtesans, captivating kabuki actors, and breathtaking landscapes. This is purely Art for the sake of Art.

Ono's artistic path took a new turn. Ukiyo-e prints captivated his imagination. Edo period pleasure districts pulsed with life. He aimed to capture the "floating world." Rich colors echoed the famous woodblock prints. Theatrical narratives mirrored district performances. Elegant courtesans graced his paintings. But a subtle sadness lingered beneath the surface. Fleeting pleasures defined this world. Life's complexities found expression in his art.

Masuji Ono's Complicity with the Takeda Ferm: The Commercialization of Art for Wartime Propaganda :

As the militarist government ramped up its propaganda efforts, it sought to enlist artists like Ono to produce nationalistic and militaristic artworks on a massive scale.To meet this demand for high output, Ono and other official artists became associated with operations like the Takeda Ferm (sometimes spelled as Firm). The Takeda Ferm was essentially an art factory to mass produce paintings, prints, and propaganda materials quickly and efficiently.

The Ferm relied on an assembly line process where different assistants and apprentices worked on separate components of each painting simultaneously. The master artist like Ono would conceive the overall composition and subject matter, while teams of lesser painters executed specific elements like backgrounds, faces, uniforms etc.

This industrialized approach allowed for extremely rapid production of artworks deploying traditional Japanese brush painting styles and techniques. However, it came at the expense of individual expression and the painstaking craftsmanship typically associated with Japanese art.

For Ono, his affiliation with an operation like Takeda Ferm represented a profound shift from his roots celebrating the ephemeral "floating world."He was forced to adopt formulaic compositions glorifying militarism and sacrifice for the state's interests.

Ono's Pursuit of Marxist Painting: Depicting the Plight of the Poor :

As the tides of social and political change swept across Japan, Ono's artistic vision underwent a profound transformation. Influenced by the ideals of Marxism and the plight of the working class, his canvases became a powerful vehicle for depicting the harsh realities of poverty and the struggles of the disenfranchised. He was highly influenced by Chisu Mastuda. His paintings from this period are imbued with a raw intensity, capturing the resilience and determination of those toiling in factories, fields, and urban slums.

Ono's Pursuit of Propaganda Paintings and Nationalistic Fervor :

(“Japanese Propaganda Posters | Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives | Chapman University”)

With the rise of militarism and the escalation of World War II, Ono's artistic trajectory took a decisive turn towards the realm of propaganda and nationalistic fervor. His paintings from this period became potent tools for galvanizing public sentiment and fostering a sense of patriotic duty. Ono's canvases depicted heroic scenes of soldiers in battle, glorifying the sacrifices made in the name of the nation. His brushstrokes captured the intensity of combat, the unwavering determination of the Japanese forces, and the idealized notions of honor and loyalty that permeated the wartime narrative. He unintentionally became a part of the propaganda.

How He Changes the Ideology :

Masuji Ono's paintings vividly mirror how both his personal artistic vision and Japanese society underwent transformative changes during the tumultuous early 1900s. His evolving brushwork and chosen subjects strikingly embodied the larger ideological currents sweeping the nation over the decades.

Initially drawn to naturalism, Ono celebrated beauty in nature and daily life through peaceful landscapes and scenes evoking human-environment harmony. As Japan modernized, his focus turned to the vibrant ukiyo-e style depicting the entertainments and pleasures of the "floating world."

With militarism's rise and World War II's outbreak, Ono's talents became conscripted for state propaganda. His paintings adopted a new visual language glorifying military ideals, industrial power, and emperor worship - abandoning earlier aesthetics of natural beauty or sensual entertainment.Post-war, Ono briefly embraced stark, realistic depictions of urban poverty and the working class' harsh conditions inspired by Marxist thought, contrasting his prior nationalistic iconography.

Across these divergent periods, Ono's oeuvre intimately chronicles how ideological forces reshaped Japanese society and art's societal role. His odyssey reminds us art is shaped by its times, but also holds power to shape a people's perceptions and values. Ono's paintings profoundly encapsulate a nation's celebrated traditions, progressive revolutions, and quest for modern identity.

Conclusion :

Masuji Ono's artistic journey, as captured through his vast and diverse body of work, stands as a testament to the inextricable link between art and the zeitgeist of a nation. From the serene depictions of nature's splendor to the raw portrayals of societal struggles and the fervent embrace of nationalistic propaganda, Ono's canvases bear witness to the profound transformations that swept across Japan during the early 20th century.

His artistic odyssey serves as a poignant reminder of the power of art to reflect, critique, and shape the collective consciousness of a nation, offering an invaluable lens through which to understand the complexities of a nation's cultural and political evolution.

Words : 1616

References :

“History of Japan - Shintoism, Buddhism, Samurai.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/History. Accessed 20 March 2024.

“Japanese Propaganda Posters | Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives | Chapman University.” Chapman University Digital Commons, https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/japanese_propaganda_posters/. Accessed 20 March 2024.

Jenkins, Donald. “Paintings of the Floating World.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 75, no. 7, 1988, pp. 244–238. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25160038. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Walkowitz, Rebecca L. “Ishiguro’s Floating Worlds.” ELH, vol. 68, no. 4, 2001, pp. 1049–76. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30032004. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.