Chapter 19, 7th edition of Living with Art

In C. 19, my 7th edition, I liked 19.30, The Descent of Amida and the twenty five Bosatsu,

where a Buddha, Amida, and his attendants coming down from heaven to welcome a soul to paradise. It's a subject I like, heaven, and the details, color, angles of lines and viewing are all done well, and balanced. I like the landscaping and think the artist catches the glory and the mystery of Raigo, the subject of the artwork.

Also favored is The Burning of Sanjo Palace, 19.29, also of the Kamakura period, late 13th century.

This Handscroll also has many details, but I like the emotionally charged action and motion. War and violence are subjects I distaste, but I like this artwork for the flames to the right, the balance of heavy and light and overall well done drawing of the details in the horses.

The other two were: 19.28 A Solitary Temple amid Clearing Peaks, hanging scroll.

It's also mysterious, like Mordor in The Hobbit books. There is motion and direction in just the details of the bridge, village up through the cool branches of tree's, past the temple and then the eye just wants to travel up the mountain. The details are to be admired and it is a place one wishes to go on an adventure.
It also speaks patience and solitude, and the higher spiritual side of me connects to Li Chengs masterpiece.

Similar in some ways is 19.23 Qui Ying, Golden Valley Garden.

Also a hanging scroll, on silk, it has a movement and direction from lower to higher, both in viewing and emotion. Apart from the other one, there is a garden of different people, who stand out in white, amidst the darker colors of folliage, and is a likeable contrast...but alike in that there is help for the eyes moving upward through the piece. Just as the group higher up feels like we are getting away from busyness and commotion to peacefulness, so the progression from nature to people to nature again with the trees taking us up to the mountains. Unlike the previous work, this one combines nature and people to stimulate emotion and identifying with it's human subjects, and how great a place this would be to commune. The details are again quite plentiful and agreeable to look at. Balanced and unique.