Viewing the autumn moon in Japanese woodblock prints.

The brilliant moonlight illuminating the night sky has been depicted by artists around the world for centuries. The magical beauty, imbued with spiritual and philosophical meaning, has compelled people to pause and admire it, inspiring artists to create timeless works of poetry and painting.

Therefore, moonlight has become a familiar image in paintings and woodblock prints of the ukiyo-e style in Japan in particular and East Asian painting in general.

For centuries, the image of a handsome man and a beautiful woman admiring the moon has been a familiar theme in Chinese painting, mostly in landscapes. The moon is often depicted in the distance, small and dwarfed by other details of the painting, accompanied by a poem that explains the work. The vastness of the landscape and the distant relationship between the moon and the person are prominent features of Chinese landscape painting, aiming to portray the humility of the subject amidst the expansive scene, and also to allow the viewer to find solace in the quiet, peaceful space bathed in moonlight and immerse themselves in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Japanese paintings often depict a giant moon obscured by willow branches or clouds. The unique placement of the moon in Japanese paintings stems from ancient mythology and Shinto beliefs, according to which the Japanese believe that there are three gods in the sky: the sun goddess Amaterasu, the storm goddess Susano-o, and the moon goddess Tsukuyomi, who rule the night with boundless power. Therefore, one can easily find paintings of the sun and moon in many ancient temples in Japan. Later, during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Noh drama and Japanese rock gardens became popular. Many people often held moon-viewing parties, drinking sake and writing poetry in their gardens, making the moon a continued favorite subject in poetry and painting.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), ukiyo-e woodblock prints became popular throughout Japan and were mass-produced for the general public. In the 1860s, the popularity of ukiyo-e began to spread to the West, creating a strong influence and forming the Japonisme (Japaneseism) trend among Western Impressionist painters such as Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet.

Utagawa Hiroshige is considered the last great master of ukiyo-e. He is primarily known for his paintings depicting nature in a serene, emotionally charged style. His works are highly realistic, using subtle colors and heavily focused on expressing mood. Fog, rain, snow, and moonlight are prominent themes in his paintings.

Meanwhile, Keisai Eisen's works primarily focused on bijin-ga (paintings of beautiful women), depicting beautiful women in the pleasure world of kabuki theaters, high-class courtesans, and geishas of brothels. Perhaps this is why he is considered a master of the "decadent" Bunsei era, which lasted from approximately 1818 to 1830. Amidst this captivating setting, the moon in Eisen's paintings remains full, complete, and radiantly serene.

Toyohara Chikanobu, commonly known by his artistic name Yōshū Chikanobu, was a painter during the Meiji period. Although originally a soldier, his paintings celebrated the spirit of hedonism, depicting handsome men and beautiful women gazing at the moon, snow, cherry blossoms, and maple leaves, singing, drinking, and drowning their sorrows in a carefree world, unconcerned with the prospect of impending poverty. His works blend Western influences, capturing the turbulent period of Japan before the Meiji era, when the moon was no longer a perfect circle but a soft, ethereal layer of light.

Utagawa Toyokuni II was a student, adopted son, and later son-in-law of Toyokuni I. Like his teacher, his style was characterized by a profound application of Western-style perspective techniques, considered an innovation in Japanese art. His paintings were bolder and more sensual than those of his predecessors, whether landscapes, kabuki theater scenes, warrior portraits, or depictions of legends. Not shy or reserved, the moon served as a backdrop for the scenery in his paintings.Autumn moon in TamagawaHis face was round and pure white, blending with the snow on the mountaintop, reflecting the image of the fishing boat at night on the calm river.

In the 17th century, great Japanese painters such as Honami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sotatsu founded the Rinpa school, teaching painting in the traditional Heian-era yamato-e style, incorporating elements from Muromachi ink paintings, Ming Dynasty Chinese flower and bird paintings, and the Momoyama Kanō school. Rinpa painters worked on a variety of materials, from screens, fans, and scrolls, to woodblock prints, lacquerware, pottery, and kimonos. Many Rinpa paintings were painted on sliding doors and walls of noble families. The Rinpa school was also famous for its crescent moon paintings. These paintings spread throughout Japan and can be found on clothing and many Edo-era crafts.

But perhaps the most famous series of ukiyo-e paintings depicting the moon isA Hundred Faces of the MoonBy the renowned artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, inspired by 100 famous stories from China, Japan, and India, all of which feature a full moon.

In the late 19th century, the influence of ukiyo-e in Japan gradually weakened as the country entered the Meiji era. Western-style art began to become popular with the emergence of many famous painters in the Impressionist and Modern styles. By the 20th century, ukiyo-e painting underwent a renaissance when it merged with the Impressionist school and formed the shin-hanga (new printmaking) movement.

Despite the constant changes and shifts in art movements, moonlight has never disappeared from Japanese art. While retaining its traditional beauty, it has gradually adapted to modern styles. Moonlight has also appeared in modern anime and manga, vividly depicted behind swirling clouds or cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind.

And when Western artists discovered the image of the moon in ukiyo-e paintings, they also brought a new perspective to the moon. These paintings of the moon were not simply depictions of the moon, but rather the thoughts and feelings of generations of Eastern and Western artists throughout thousands of years of history.

Huong Thao