The Imaginary of Nature. Watanabe Seitei Exhibition in the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Krakow

Do painted birds and flowers still have the potential to mesmerize and astonish with their form? And should this astonishment be the main purpose of art displayed in museums? Let’s stop and consider this for a moment. Astonishment, surprise, powerful emotions… if we did our homework from the evolution of a definition of beauty and art, then we know perfectly well that numerous experts on aesthetics came to the same conclusion: art should evoke emotions, “stir things up” so to say. It is one of its key properties apart from astonishing and moving people. 

When asked about the meaning of art, young people very often say that it shows emotions, makes us feel something deeper and allows us to see the soul of the artist. These definitions formulated on the spot usually mention potent emotions or a jolt. However, the question is whether today this emotional roller coaster is necessary when interacting with a piece of art.

While viewing the exhibition, ‘The Imaginary of Nature’ I didn’t experience any emotive jolts. Instead, my emotions revolved around the notion of astonishment – though it might be too strong of a word.With that being said, I was brought to a standstill and present among art. It was both pleasant and needed as the stream of thoughts slowed down its pace. There is something about Japanese culture that propels us into a temporary state of hibernation, allowing us to look and absorb, initially with no interpretation. I suppose that’s the power of nature. It’s both so little and so much.

 ‘The Imaginary of Nature’ by Watanabe Seitei introduces us to the world of nature – nature that we can view day in, day out unless the concrete urban jungle is our actual habitat. Every day, we have the opportunity to notice trees, flowers and other living creatures. Do we really notice them, though? I’m afraid we rarely do. For this reason, ‘The Imaginary of Nature’ is a very needed exhibition. Let’s stop and consider this together.

Watanabe Seitei

Have you heard this name before? There’s no need to feel guilty if the answer is ‘no.’ I first discovered the work of this artist myself only a few years ago. Watanabe Seitei (1851-1918) was a famous and esteemed painter who was almost completely forgotten after his death, perhaps due to his self-imposed isolation near the end of his life, which initiated a gradual process of slipping into obscurity. Only recently was this process halted by experts in Japanese art.

‘The Imaginary of Nature’ is the largest exhibition of Seitei’s works to date. The artworks showcased at the Manggha Museum belonged to the collection of Raymond Milewski, an American botanist. In 2022, he gifted the woodcuts and silk kachō-ga paintings (depicting birds and flowers) to the museum. Today, it’s the most extensive collection of this artist’s works. From 1875, Watanabe Seitei worked for a company promoting Japanese art abroad. In 1878, he attended the International Exposition in Paris as one of the company representatives, where he stayed for another two years. During that time, he made quite an impact on the French art scene. He befriended the art dealer Tadamasa Hayashi and became part of the inner circle of Paris impressionists. Seitei gained wide recognition and fame, while his pieces became sought after and luxurious commodities.

Performance prior to performance

An avant-garde and ingenious approach to art in the late 19^th and early 20^th century seems far-removed from active engagement we think of today. For example, the artist’s role in breaking down barriers between the viewer and recipient while focusing not only on the material work of art, but also on the creative process, which they share with the viewer. Different times, different circumstances. And yet!

As evident from the notes of Edmond de Goncourt, performance was not just the domain of artists, such as Jackson Pollock or Yves Klein. As it turns out, Seitei, who used to do performative paintings in Paris much earlier, was indeed ahead of his time. 

During these unique sessions, he did the so-called kakemono paintings on silk fabrics. In his journal, Goncourt offers a detailed description of Seitei’s technique. The process started from the artist sketching out a bird’s beak – it marked the beginning of a painting. Next, he used two brushes to delineate the shapes of birds, then he focused on the branches. Finally Seitei washed the contours by splashing ink and water onto the fabric.

The first section of the exhibition showcases the results of these performances in the form of amazing silk paintings depicting colorful birds and flowers demonstrating various levels of color saturation. Analysis of these pieces would be complemented by a visit to the second temporary exhibition in the Manggha Museum titled ‘Kimono. Layers of Inspiration.’ Both shows highlight the significance of silk in Japanese culture, a noble fabric which makes the process of painting so unique.

Woodcuts

Originally, the graphic technique of wood engraving was popularized in Europe by Albrecht Dürer. However, the technique returned to its former glory in the 19^th century due to a transfer of Japanese woodcuts to Europe. Numerous impressionists, post impressionists and other artists of the art nouveau period relished in the linear beauty of Japanese art. This unostentatious simplicity, lines, return to nature as well as departure from a conventional perspective and chiaroscuro model of painting – all these elements were inspired by artists from Japan, including Watanabe Seitei whose ‘imaginary of nature’ combining tradition with modernism could’ve exerted a strong influence on, for instance, Cézanne and Gauguin. Moreover, the picture books, which Seitei brought to Europe, became a sort of blueprint for upcoming generations of painters.

Tradition

In the practice of Watanabe Seitei, what’s mainly traditional are his subjects – yet there is more to his seemingly unadorned depictions of nature than meets the eye. Nature in his art is the emanation of Buddhism, and thus a reminder of transience and recurring transformation of nature. As opposed to Western artists, Seitei portrays common plants and animals, which we see everyday. He paints sparrows and doves in lieu of predatory lions, which are usually approached with a flair of pathos by European painters. Seitei’s art reminds us to be mindful of everyday beauty and urges us to truly see, not just to look.

Modernism

Raymond Milewski, owner of the collection, maintains that the composition draws one’s attention the most in Watanabe Seitei’s pieces. Indeed, space is created in a very unique fashion. It’s expansive and characterized by minimalism of sorts. Arrangement of elements in his paintings highlights their most significant aspects. There are no distractions in the form of superfluous adornments. On the contrary, everything is transparent. His works also exhibit an innovative, almost impressionistic sensibility. In numerous places, we can discern jagged contours and rapid brushstrokes of draft-like quality.

I also noticed the artist’s keen interest in geometric shapes. In several of his pieces, Seitei paints the animals from various perspectives. I was wondering if one graphic portrays a single bird from various angles or several of them. You need to dig a little deeper to solve this puzzle. Perhaps one day I will find an answer. At this point, my hypothesis states the following: in the late 1970s, Seitei stayed in Paris, where he could’ve met Paul Cézanne and discovered his research into the three-dimensional nature of objects depicted on a flat surface of a canvas. Did Seitei toy with proto-cubism? Perhaps.

Arrangement

All these nuances of Watanabe Seitei’s art would’ve never come to the surface were it not for the specific exhibition arrangement. As a visitor of the Manggha Museum, I am already familiar with the experience of complete darkness in the venue, but never before have I experienced it to such a degree. The result creates an amazing, mystical atmosphere. Bright, almost luminous pieces on silk and sublime woodcuts emerging from darkness invite us to come closer and discover all their intricacies. One might easily immerse themselves in this darkness and forget the outside world for a moment. For just a moment, one can be fully present with art only.

---

The Imaginary of Nature

Watanabe Seitei

09 October 2022 – 03 May 2023

Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology

More