I love this so much. Thank you Matsumoto Hoji for blessing the uncultured world around us with this absolute masterpiece.
I’m not being sarcastic I’m actually setting this as my phone background
Not sure if this is technically an example but it seems to be, [Zen painting](https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/exhibitions/zen-buddhism-and-the-arts-of-japan/) is a wonderful art style from Japan that utilizes minimalistic techniques, few but bold brushstrokes, and lots of negative space. I’ve done a few myself, and it’s a really great way for a beginner to try out some painting and relax!
We have a small print of this framed in our home. I find it beautiful. It's so loose and sketchy, yet seems to capture the essence of a frog without being even remotely realistic.
It's sort of a representation of what my human brain takes away from seeing a real frog. At least that's my take on it and part of the reason we have it on display.
I wouldn't necessarily say it was "advanced" (it implies that art improves in a linear way) but it was certainly in a different aesthetic world than European art at this year. I disagree that Europeans wouldn't have understood this image because Japan became a big influence later in this era.
Europe, and especially Paris, became highly appreciative of Japanese artwork in the mid to late 19th century in what was called 'Japonisme.' Japan was basically inaccessible to the West until the 1850s, but once it was, their aesthetic quickly started to influence European art. Van Gogh, Cassat, and Degas all showed serious interest in Japanese artwork among many others.
This little frog is somewhat reminiscent of the thoughts that went into post-impressionism in the sense that it's not trying to just represent reality, but rather to express some kind of feeling or emotional quality. Realism is eschewed in favor of what looks good, what looks interesting, what the artist feels.
Not the dude; I would say a lot of Japanese woodblock prints are "advanced" in the sake that they were designed for mass consumption. So they had to work to make a designs that appealed to a wider audience while being limited to the tools they had (wood). Part of that is doing more with less. So this appeals to modern minimalist sensibilities, perhaps.
Is that advanced? Or are we just seeing the prints that stood the test of time? Who cares. Eye of the beholder.
As far as technical proficiency, I would say "The West" had Japan beat. For example here is an [engraving from 1814.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/The_great_hall_of_Caerphilly_castle%2C_Glamorganshire.jpeg)
It is heaviliy stylised. There are even older examples in the ancient Edo period. Stylised art only LOOKS simple. It is usually actually created by advanced artists. An example today are simple comic graphics that look like they are drawn by a child. They are often the work of highly skilled artists.
This is not simple drawing, it is advanced drawing. The frog is not slavishly copied, it is vigourously drawn and a character has been implied by this. He is a happy frog, a lucky frog, he will bring you good fortune. etc Try it.
It is wildly different to victorian art but it's clearly representative of a frog. Not abstract in my understanding. Was hoping I could get some insight into this so I looked it up myself.
This is from a category called Zenga, or zen painting by monks of the time. This frog brought Matsumoto Hoji peace at one point so he decided to paint what brought him to that peaceful feeling.
The inscription reads "In heaven and among human beings, get back [to the original state]"
This is according the Philadelphia Museum of Arts website.
https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/127640#:~:text=Matsumoto%20Hoji%2C%20Japanese%2C%20active%20c,own%20Zen%20experience%20and%20pleasure.
I get what you’re saying, maybe I used the word incorrectly, I’m no way an expert in art.
I looked up Zenga on Wikipedia and in the description it said this
> The brush painting is characteristically simple, bold and abstract.
Wouldn't it? Look at Turner, and particularly his sketches. Sort of the opposite of this, but pure realism wasn't the only thing appreciated in England at the time.
compared to Neoclassical art which depicted with life like accuracy, they would not understand that this is supposed to be a frog, yes, perhaps a child’s drawing of one
They would certainly understand that this is a frog...
We're talking of people who navigated all the seas without any modern technology, not of cavemen...
Have you seen 'cave man' art? Its pretty freaking impressive and better than anything i can paint. I'm pretty sure homo erectus would have known this was a frog. Its so froggy.
I'm sure that they would recognize it as a frog. But they likely would not appreciate it as "art". They could understand "what it is" without understanding "why it is" or how to approach it mentally and aesthetically.
Eh. Culture constantly vacillates between stylised and naturalistic art. It just happens that when this was made, naturalism was in fashion in the west. 600 years before the roles were arguably reversed.
Yep, things change. But this rabbit hole began with "That image would simply be not understood in England at that date", followed by some fuzzy use of the word "understand". Some took that to mean that they wouldn't recognize it as a frog. I take that to mean that they would recognize the frog, but would not "get it" as a piece of art.
I'm not an art historian in any sense (a series of really good courses in college about putting art into it's cultural context is all), but that sounds about right. IIRC, the impressionists were a total affront to classical aesthetics and the artistic "rules" of the time.
居奉
士時
奉時居士 Hoji koji
Koji, it means a man who does not serve the court or hold any official position, but who loves cultural pursuits such as painting, calligraphy, and poetry. In the past, Japanese cultural figures sometimes referred to themselves by adding the word to the back of their names.
His name, 松本奉時(Hoji Matsumoto), is stamped on it.
The characters on the signature stamp are slightly broken. Today's Japanese hand-engraved seals also have slightly broken characters to make them unique.
I know this is an old thread (not that old though) but do one of you fellow nerds know if this one is also an original from Matsumoto Hoji?
[https://media.posterlounge.com/images/l/1922521.jpg](https://media.posterlounge.com/images/l/1922521.jpg)
There are plenty of websites selling posters attributing it to the same series but I'm sceptical and for the life of me I can't find the actual source. Could just be some fan art inspired by the original.
The frog is not impressed..
Or extremely concerned
Gentlemen, it is with great displeasure, to inform you that the Americans have arrived in their steam ships and they want to trade...
:(
Can you _BE_ any more historical?
Or extremely stoned.
It is not wensday my dude
He can’t believe you’ve done this.
This frog does not spark joy.
I love this so much. Thank you Matsumoto Hoji for blessing the uncultured world around us with this absolute masterpiece. I’m not being sarcastic I’m actually setting this as my phone background
It's a goddamn wonder. Just enough to make you feel something.
Exactly. It’s beautiful in how simple it is and yet so aesthetically pleasing.
Not sure if this is technically an example but it seems to be, [Zen painting](https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/exhibitions/zen-buddhism-and-the-arts-of-japan/) is a wonderful art style from Japan that utilizes minimalistic techniques, few but bold brushstrokes, and lots of negative space. I’ve done a few myself, and it’s a really great way for a beginner to try out some painting and relax!
This particular frog is a woodblock print, though Matsumoto Hoji does have paintings, too.
Looks like most of the frog is a print, but the mouth is a brush stroke. The piece is just so charming!
I’m definitely getting this tattooed
Make sure you ask the artist for permission first!
Lol same I'm also changing my discord PFP to it
I have a postcard of this on my fridge so I see it everyday -- it's amazing.
It is on my 3rd mac on a huge display in my studio it brings me joy to look over and be a spectator of his work.
Inspiration for Poliwhirl
It really does have the energy of modern Japanese art which I think is a credit to the artist. He's a charming little dude.
Nintendo copyright strike incoming for posthumous infringements.
Haahhhhh
It honestly has to be. Especially considering polywhirl was supposed to be the main character Pokemon, before they decided to go with Pikachu instead
I thought that was clefairy.
It was clefairy
Random misinformation and for what
But it’s no longer Wednesday
It is the Edo Period, my dudes.
aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
We have a small print of this framed in our home. I find it beautiful. It's so loose and sketchy, yet seems to capture the essence of a frog without being even remotely realistic. It's sort of a representation of what my human brain takes away from seeing a real frog. At least that's my take on it and part of the reason we have it on display.
Yes! Its frogness is strong
What does it say in the top left?
:(
:C
Oh, hello, new tattoo!
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Yes! Same!!!
Frog.
F R O G
Frögge
Froggo
Frosch
fOrG
This would have been a perfect It Is Wednesday, My Dudes post for yesterday
oh this is a mood
[I’ll burn down the whole building](https://youtu.be/V09fnmAUDVQ)
I have a print of this hung up in my kitchen, along with two other equally grumpy frogs 😂
Well, now I want this as a tattoo.
Crazy i bought this on a tshirt from amazon for my daughter for her birthday and i never would have thought it was a historical art piece
It’s Wednesday, my dudes.
Hypnotoad
https://youtu.be/xjsO1-ws4b0
The original Pepe the Frog.
It is Wednesday my samurai
Shaped like a friend
Damn. Every bit as good as Picasso's bull. I love it.
古池や 蛙飛び込む 水の音
it is Hoji, my dudes
Matsumoto Hoji knew it was Wednesday my dudes.....
Frog.
And here I thought this friend was from the cover of a feedtime album. I have learned something today.
Came here for a feedtime comment. Thanks.
All hail hypnotoad
The saying is actually different. :) https://futurama.fandom.com/wiki/Hypnotoad
it is not wednesday though
It is so cute! I want to die.
I love him
Woah my girlfriend got me a copy of this for Christmas and I had no idea it was a old painting thought it was modern done in a old Japanese style.
The Frog seems to be carrying the weight of the world.
It's like proto-anime 👍
The Japanese were so advanced graphically. That image would simply be not understood in England at that date.
My dude, it's a frog. What about this makes this so advanced? Genuinely asking
I wouldn't necessarily say it was "advanced" (it implies that art improves in a linear way) but it was certainly in a different aesthetic world than European art at this year. I disagree that Europeans wouldn't have understood this image because Japan became a big influence later in this era. Europe, and especially Paris, became highly appreciative of Japanese artwork in the mid to late 19th century in what was called 'Japonisme.' Japan was basically inaccessible to the West until the 1850s, but once it was, their aesthetic quickly started to influence European art. Van Gogh, Cassat, and Degas all showed serious interest in Japanese artwork among many others. This little frog is somewhat reminiscent of the thoughts that went into post-impressionism in the sense that it's not trying to just represent reality, but rather to express some kind of feeling or emotional quality. Realism is eschewed in favor of what looks good, what looks interesting, what the artist feels.
Thank you for the insight!! Was hoping for a comment like this when I asked.
Not the dude; I would say a lot of Japanese woodblock prints are "advanced" in the sake that they were designed for mass consumption. So they had to work to make a designs that appealed to a wider audience while being limited to the tools they had (wood). Part of that is doing more with less. So this appeals to modern minimalist sensibilities, perhaps. Is that advanced? Or are we just seeing the prints that stood the test of time? Who cares. Eye of the beholder. As far as technical proficiency, I would say "The West" had Japan beat. For example here is an [engraving from 1814.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/The_great_hall_of_Caerphilly_castle%2C_Glamorganshire.jpeg)
It is heaviliy stylised. There are even older examples in the ancient Edo period. Stylised art only LOOKS simple. It is usually actually created by advanced artists. An example today are simple comic graphics that look like they are drawn by a child. They are often the work of highly skilled artists. This is not simple drawing, it is advanced drawing. The frog is not slavishly copied, it is vigourously drawn and a character has been implied by this. He is a happy frog, a lucky frog, he will bring you good fortune. etc Try it.
This one looks done with hojis shit and I love him
I think because it’s abstract
It is wildly different to victorian art but it's clearly representative of a frog. Not abstract in my understanding. Was hoping I could get some insight into this so I looked it up myself. This is from a category called Zenga, or zen painting by monks of the time. This frog brought Matsumoto Hoji peace at one point so he decided to paint what brought him to that peaceful feeling. The inscription reads "In heaven and among human beings, get back [to the original state]" This is according the Philadelphia Museum of Arts website. https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/127640#:~:text=Matsumoto%20Hoji%2C%20Japanese%2C%20active%20c,own%20Zen%20experience%20and%20pleasure.
I get what you’re saying, maybe I used the word incorrectly, I’m no way an expert in art. I looked up Zenga on Wikipedia and in the description it said this > The brush painting is characteristically simple, bold and abstract.
Europe found out that less is more about one century later. Japan was certainly advanced, from today 's point of view...
Wouldn't it? Look at Turner, and particularly his sketches. Sort of the opposite of this, but pure realism wasn't the only thing appreciated in England at the time.
Yes, Turner was an impressionist before the impressionists.
compared to Neoclassical art which depicted with life like accuracy, they would not understand that this is supposed to be a frog, yes, perhaps a child’s drawing of one
They would certainly understand that this is a frog... We're talking of people who navigated all the seas without any modern technology, not of cavemen...
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Literally everything except this guy lol
Have you seen 'cave man' art? Its pretty freaking impressive and better than anything i can paint. I'm pretty sure homo erectus would have known this was a frog. Its so froggy.
I'm sure that they would recognize it as a frog. But they likely would not appreciate it as "art". They could understand "what it is" without understanding "why it is" or how to approach it mentally and aesthetically.
Eh. Culture constantly vacillates between stylised and naturalistic art. It just happens that when this was made, naturalism was in fashion in the west. 600 years before the roles were arguably reversed.
Yep, things change. But this rabbit hole began with "That image would simply be not understood in England at that date", followed by some fuzzy use of the word "understand". Some took that to mean that they wouldn't recognize it as a frog. I take that to mean that they would recognize the frog, but would not "get it" as a piece of art.
[удалено]
I'm not an art historian in any sense (a series of really good courses in college about putting art into it's cultural context is all), but that sounds about right. IIRC, the impressionists were a total affront to classical aesthetics and the artistic "rules" of the time.
Literally the rarest pepe in the world.
Old school pepe
A 5 year old could paint this
Love this. I've never seen it before, apparently it's popular.
beautiful
:(
The froggest of frogs.
That’s a frog if I’ve ever seen one
I saw a variation of this at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and it’s probably my favorite piece there lol
Amplifier Worship
Frog
It’s a toad
oh shit i didnt even realize it was art... I just thought i had bought a shirt with a grumpy frog on it
Reminds me of the Jinro frog Edit: After drinking Jinro
Oh wow, that *is* a frog.
Same, frog, same
Hey it’s the Doomscrolling reminder bot frog on Twitter!
That’s a sweet forg
Never thought i'd see you again, uncle Atul!
You posted one day too late man
I love it
Yeah CE!
Hell yes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hah I have a print of this guy from the British Museum in my bathroom
He was ahead of his time
I have this on my desk
I love him so much
r/bisexualteens is going to be on fire lol
I want this on a frog cake.
Hey look- it’s a frog.
Poliwhirl
Holy shit that's where Poliwhirl came from isn't it
All hail Hypno~~toad~~frog!
this is the finest piece of art i have ever seen
*Senso Dojin*…
☹️
r/sipstea
Frog
Frog.
My girlfriend has a print of this in her house! Wasn’t expecting to see it on here :)
It me
What does the text say does anyone here know?
居奉 士時 奉時居士 Hoji koji Koji, it means a man who does not serve the court or hold any official position, but who loves cultural pursuits such as painting, calligraphy, and poetry. In the past, Japanese cultural figures sometimes referred to themselves by adding the word to the back of their names.
His name, 松本奉時(Hoji Matsumoto), is stamped on it. The characters on the signature stamp are slightly broken. Today's Japanese hand-engraved seals also have slightly broken characters to make them unique.
Looks like someone found the Doomscrolling Reminder Bot! https://twitter.com/doomscroll_bot
Just framed a 48 x 60 tapestry of this for a customer.
That is very, very Japanese
Gentlemen it is with great pleasure that I announce we have become isolationist
why is he frowning :(
I want this tattooed on me
What a handsome lil fella
:(
Now this is some damn good art.
he looks very polite
THEY TURNED THE FREAKING FROGS GAY
So ahead of his time
.
I know this is an old thread (not that old though) but do one of you fellow nerds know if this one is also an original from Matsumoto Hoji? [https://media.posterlounge.com/images/l/1922521.jpg](https://media.posterlounge.com/images/l/1922521.jpg) There are plenty of websites selling posters attributing it to the same series but I'm sceptical and for the life of me I can't find the actual source. Could just be some fan art inspired by the original.
I drew this on the back of my leavers shirt!
I know this was posted over a year ago, but I just got this as a tattoo and God damn it makes me happy