Past Exhibitions
- Early Modern Paintings from Major Kyoto Temples
- August 11, 2015 - September 13, 2015
The ancient capital of Kyoto is home to the head temples of many different branches of Buddhism. These temples embody the city's rich cultural heritage and house many of its artistic treasures. Among their holdings are some of the greatest paintings to have survived from the Momoyama (1573–1615) and Edo (1615–1868) periods—works that are essential to understanding the history of Japanese art.
Paintings in temples were produced for various reasons: some were made specifically to decorate religious spaces, others were made for secular purposes and later donated to temples. Temples thus served as both patrons to the arts and as sanctuaries to preserve them. The works on view here, which have survived centuries of wars and natural disasters, remind us today of the rich artistic legacy of Kyoto's temples.
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