visual grammar

In a previous blog post titled "Shunro’s *Shinpan Odori-e Zukushi* Employs the Same Technique as Sharaku’s Later Full-Length Portraits," I created models based on two dancing figures from *Shinpan Odori-e Zukushi*; here, I have added a drawing of one of them. Shunrou　”Sinpanodoriezukusi" The largest circle is indicated by a light blue arc. The blue arc—part of the second-largest circle—accounts for a large portion of the overall pattern. The colors of the circles forming these shapes have been varied to make the structure easier to understand. Next, I will attempt to construct only the largest, second-largest, and third-largest circles from the circular-arc model of Sharaku’s full-length portrait of Ichikawa Kōrazō II—a work that has not received much critical acclaim.   Sharaku 　“ itikawakorazou ” The light-blue circular arc that forms the sword is the largest, and it also creates the vertical stripes of the kimono. The second-largest arc is indicated in gre...

The mathematician Kiyoshi Oka stated that emotion lies at the core of the human heart; the essence of art is the perception—prior to intellectual knowledge—of the integral nature inherent in visible forms. Lately, I have come across numerous videos online featuring Hokusai’s "The Great Wave," yet they are accompanied only by personal impressions or explanatory notes; not a single one qualifies as an art-historical analysis. All of this content can be summarized by AI. Our understanding of the mental activity known as art lags the furthest behind. The reason for this state of affairs is clear. Since the work is created for a practical purpose, the first thing that catches the eye is its function as a sign. We must look beyond the habitual way of viewing it merely as a sign; instead, we must perceive its form to truly grasp the essence of art.   It is the form that holds the artistic quality. Those involved in the arts—including the commercial art world, the a...