Picasso [Reclining Nude 32-058] and Torii Kiyonobu [Tanabata festival]

The idea that we can't understand art until we see the real thing is still circulating.

But ninety-nine percent of the works I have seen are reproductions.

If we accept that design (image) is the essence of art, by looking at art books and digital images, we can find the answer to what art is. 

In formal art theory, digital images are also works.

     from [Blog "Unified Art Theory"]

 Genuine works of the print collection in museum collection are not readily available to see.

Kiyonobu's name is well known but his work is not understood.

One of the reasons is that most people don't realize that reproduction is enough to enjoy seeing.

It seems that there are few people who try to find it in digital images.

 

I found three digital images which are related.

       The middle one seems to be most balanced.

        Torii Kiyonobu　「Actor Sawamura Kodenji as a Woman at the Time of the 　　　Tanabata Festival」

It seems that all the lines can be replaced into arcs.

Then each arc can be extended to circles.

I call this arc-circle model.

     arc circle model

To see the basic structure clearer I added some vertical and horizontal diagonals.

 

You can see that the vertical diameter of the purple circle that makes the curve of the bamboo pole passes through the center of the picture.

Above the vertical line are two red, blue and orange circles.

The horizontal diameter is below the center.

Above it there are two green circles, a blue circle, and an orange circle.

This device can be seen in Picasso's works of the 1930s.

       Picasso [reclining nude 32-058]

This pattern is mostly made of arcs.

Each arc can be extended to a circle.

I make arc - circle model.

       Picasso [reclining nude 32-058] arc-circle model 

Vermilion arc on the lower left make the largest circle.

On the horizontal diameter a blue circle, a yellow circle, a pink circle, a dark orange circle, a bright green circle and a small orange yellow circle are placed.

Kiyonobu in 1698 and Picasso in 1932 used the same technique.

Both of them were performers in the same game of 'formal art making'.

This technique is inevitably devised when seeking harmony and balance.

 Here is a chart from the blog I wrote before.

                        four layers of art from the blog [upside down jade at the Met]

One work can be customarily seen in different ways: art of cord, art of symbol, art of icon, art of form.

I will explain it by dividing it into four layers.

Auther's name "Kiyonobu"and the title "Tanabata festival "are understood as learning the background. (art of code) 
The contemporary of Kiyonobu knew this picture is made for Kabuki Actor. (art of symbol)

Everyone can recognize this is a woman dressed in kimono. (art of icon)

Any good art student can see the image as a network. (Art of form)

Only the last way of seeing is universal, with which Visual Grammar (Universal Grammar) is established.

Criticism should be written at this formal level.

Musical criticism is only possible after reading sheet music.

 A model of visual grammar was invented for that purpose.

 Models can quantify art effects.

Now we know why almost nobody can appreciate either Kiyonobu or Picasso.