Find out how Japanese cherry blossoms have served as inspirations for many Japanese artists as we take a look at the collection of Japanese cherry blossom paintings.
The Japanese cherry blossom tree has served as inspiration for many artists throughout the history of Japan. The native species known as Sakura in the local language is deeply embedded in Japanese culture and has many traditional activities revolving around it.
The Japanese cherry blossom traditions date to centuries ago and they have been kept alive only because of the consistency with which the Japanese people have kept up with the practice. Amongst the music, poetry, flower watching and other activities, painting too has been one of the art forms through which the Japanese cherry blossom tree has been explored.
By nature the tree is known to possess immense beauty. The tree displays an awe inspiring visual during the spring season when it begins to bloom. The purple foliage fills the environment with an amazing spirit and makes the tree a beautiful specimen of art by it self.
Japanese realist painters were mesmerized by the natural beauty and the transitional nature of the cherry blossom tree. Hence they took to studying the physical structure of the tree in order to recreate art work with painful details trying to capture the essence of the tree in realistic terms. Such realistic paintings are a display of the amazing skill and powers of observation that the Japanese artists possessed.
The realistic paintings of the cherry blossom trees seemed almost like a botanical study of the species. Japanese cherry blossom paintings are not restricted to realistic replicas of the tree. Rather there is a wide range of styles that one will be able to find when it comes to cherry blossom paintings.
Cherry Blossom Paintings & Symbolism
There circulated another school of thought amongst the artists who looked at the Japanese cherry blossom tree in another light. The physical beauty of the Japanese cherry blossom tree is not the only thing that has attracted the artists. Rather anyone familiar with the culture that surrounds these trees in Japan would know that they carry innate symbolism in the eyes of the Japanese public.
The short lived life cycle of the cherry blossom tree bears similitude to the nature of human life in general. The tree blossoms into brilliance but only for a short span of time after which comes the inevitable fall. This deep symbolism provided inspiration for a lot of conceptual and abstract art circulating around the meaning and symbolism associated with the tree.
Hence there exists a wide collection of Japanese cherry blossom paintings that are focused on taking the cherry blossoms as a symbol of life and seek to represent their inner meaning rather than capturing the physical beauty of the tree on canvas.
The ideas and concepts explored by Japanese artists regarding this theme have produced some amazing results which are held up in museums in the country. Japanese cherry blossom paintings are also available for sale on stalls during the festival season in spring.
