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Sumi-e
The Art of Asian Ink Painting
Gustavo Miranda
Olympia Heights Elementary
Miami, FL
Origins
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Sumi-e is Japanese for “ink picture”
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Started in China 200 – 300 AD
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Originated from calligraphy

13th century traveled with Zen monks to
Japan and Korea
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Samurai Warriors, part of the Bushido Code
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Influenced many artists:
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Vincent
van Gogh, and Mary Cassatt
Representation

Painting represents the “Chi” of the subject
“One must be the rose, to paint the rose”
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
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The Four Gentlemen are four brushstroke
techniques to lay a painting foundation.
The Four Gentlemen: Orchid, Bamboo,
Plum Branch, and Chrysanthemum
The Four Gentlemen, which are the four
seasons and four desirable personality traits
based on Confucian way of thinking.
Bamboo
The bamboo (take)
represents summer season.
The bamboo symbolizes
vitality, enduring strength,
integrity.
The bamboo has straight,
high towering up branches,
its evergreen leaves and its
amazing flexibility.
Orchid
The orchid (ran)
represents spring. The
graceful wild orchid
corresponds with the
Eastern ideal picture of
a woman. The orchid
symbolizes elegance
and simplicity.
The plum (ume)
represents winter.
The plum symbolizes
"a man with great
character", an active,
positively turned
towards life, elderly
person.
Fragile flowers appear
in springtime on its
knobby, twisted
branches.
Plum
Chrysanthemum
The chrysanthemum
(kiku) represents
autumn. The
chrysanthemum
exemplifies admirable
qualities.
Until today the
Chrysanthemum is the
royal symbol of the
Japanese emperorhouse.