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大和絵 is a style of Japanese painting inspired by Tang dynasty paintings and fully developed by the late Heian period. It is considered the classical Japanese style. From the Muromachi period (15th century), the term yamato-e has been used to distinguish work from contemporary Chinese painting paintings kara-e, which were inspired by Chinese Song dynasty and Yuan dynasty-era ink wash paintings.
Characteristic features of yamato-e include many small figures and careful depictions of details of buildings and other objects, the selection of only some elements of a scene to be fully depicted, the rest either being ignored or covered by a "floating cloud", an oblique view from above showing interiors of buildings as though through a cutaway roof, and very stylised depiction of landscape.
Yamato-e very often depict narrative stories, with or without accompanying text, but also show the beauty of nature, with famous places meisho-e or the four seasons shiki-e. The pictures are often on scrolls that can be hung on a wall (), handscrolls () that are read from right to left, or on a folding screen () or panel (). Although they received their name from the Yamato period, no yamato-e paintings from this period survive, nor from several centuries afterwards. Yamato-e pictures rather stand for a style and are not restricted to a particular period.
There was a revival of the yamato-e style in the 15th century by the Tosa school, including a return to narrative subjects, and although the rival Kanō school grew out of the alternative tradition of Chinese-style works, the style it developed from the late 16th century for large paintings decorating included some elements of the yamato-e style. In the 17th century, the simplified and stylised depiction of landscape backgrounds in yamato-e was revived as a style for large landscape works by the Rinpa school. Later the narrative element of yamato-e, the interest in the depiction of everyday life, and the choice of oblique and partial views in a composition heavily influenced the ukiyo-e style, as well as the nihonga.
The range of works discussed below, all usually considered to be embraced by the term yamato-e, is considerable, but most are narrative handscrolls with many small figures. There were also many screens and works in other formats in the various styles, of which few traces remain. The yamato-e style is apparent in the landscape background of some of the Buddhist paintings which are the most numerous survivals of Heian painting.
The paintings show an already mature tradition that has developed a considerable way from its Chinese origins. Conventions include the angled view from above into roofless rooms, and very simplified facial details, allowing minimal expressiveness. The colours are fresh and bright, built up in a technique called "make-up" where a first outline is covered by several layers of pigment, with final lines added on top. Only one example survives from so early comparable to the painted screens shown at the rear in the interior scene illustrated.Paine, 133–135; the one screen from this period shows a panoramic landscape and small figures; image As female figures, mostly shown in a state of elegant lassitude, far outnumber the men, this is taken as an exemplar of "women's painting".
An early military and political work is the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba (The Tale of Great Minister Ban), a late 12th century (handscroll painting) depicting the events of the Ōtenmon Conspiracy, an event of Japan's early Heian period. The painting, attributed to Tokiwa Mitsunaga, is over 20 m long and about 31.5 cm tall.
The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga represents a very different style within yamato-e, with very lively pen drawings of men and anthropomorphic animals in a number of scenes.
Rather more examples survive from the following Kamakura period (1185–1333), including many showing scenes of life among the ordinary people, and also stories of wars from Japanese history. The Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba (Illustrated Account of the Mongol Invasion) are a pair of illustrated handscrolls from between 1275 and 1293. They were commissioned by the samurai Takezaki Suenaga in order to record his battlefield valour and deeds during the Mongol invasions of Japan.
From near the end of the first period of works in the style, the Yūki Kassen Ekotoba is a handscroll nearly 3 metres long, with a single wide battle scene after a text section, illustrating the suicide of Ashikaga Mochiuji after his rebellion in 1439. Shihon Chakushoku Yūki Kassen Ekotoba , Cultural Heritage Online accessed on July 26, 2012
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