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Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), "pictures of the floating world", is a genre of Japanese
woodblock prints produced between the 17th and the 20th century, featuring
motifs of landscapes, the theater and pleasure quarters.
Ukiyo, meaning "floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that
bloomed in the urban centers of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto
that were a world unto themselves. It is an ironic allusion to the homophone term
"Sorrowful World" (憂き世), the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which
Buddhists sought release. The art form rose to great popularity in the
metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century,
originating with the single-color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s. At
first, only India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a
brush, but in the 18th century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of
polychrome printing to produce nishiki-e.
Ukiyo-e were affordable because they could be mass-produced. They were
meant for mainly townsmen, who were generally not wealthy enough to afford an
original painting. The original subject of ukiyo-e was city life, in particular
activities and scenes from the entertainment district. Beautiful courtesans, bulky
sumo wrestlers and popular actors would be portrayed while engaged in
appealing activities. Later on landscapes also became popular. Political subjects,
and individuals above the lowest strata of society (courtesans, wrestlers and
actors) were not sanctioned in these prints and very rarely appeared. Sex was
not a sanctioned subject either, but continually appeared in ukiyo-e prints. Artists
and publishers were sometimes punished for creating these sexually explicit
shunga.
History
Ukiyo-e can be categorized into several different art periods: the Edo period,
which comprises ukiyo-e from its origins in until about 1867, when the Meiji period
began and lasted until 1912. The Edo period was largely a period of calm which
provided an ideal environment for the development of the art in a commercial
form; while the Meiji period is characterized by new influences as Japan opened
up to the West.
The roots of ukiyo-e can be traced to the urbanization that took place in the late
16th century which led to the development of a class of merchants and artisans
who began writing stories or novels, and painting pictures, compiled together in
ehon (絵本, picture books, books with stories and picture illustrations), such as
the 1608 edition of Tales of Ise (Ise-monogatari) by Hon'ami Kōetsu. Ukiyo-e
were often used for illustrations in these books, but came into their own as single-
sheet prints (e.g. postcards or kakemono-e), or were posters for the kabuki
theater. Inspirations were initially Chinese tales and artworks. Many stories were
based on urban life and culture, guidebooks were also popular, and all in all had
a commercial nature and were widely available. Hishikawa Moronobu, who
already used polychrome painting, became very influential after the 1670s.
In the mid-18th century, techniques allowed for production of full-color prints,
called nishiki-e, and the ukiyo-e that are reproduced today on postcards and
calendars, date from this period on. Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Sharaku
were the prominent artists of this period. After studying European artworks
receding perspective entered the pictures and other ideas were picked up.
Katsushika Hokusai's pictures depicted mostly landscapes and nature. His Thirty-
Six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景, Fugaku sanjurokkei) were published starting
around 1831. Ando Hiroshige and Kunisada also published many pictures drawn
on motifs from nature.
In 1842, and as part of the Tenpo reforms, pictures of courtesans, geisha and
actors (e.g. onnagata) were banned. Pictures with these motifs experienced
some revival though, when they were permitted again.
During the Kaei era (1848–1854), many foreign merchant ships came to Japan.
The ukiyo-e of that time reflect the cultural changes.
Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan became open to imports from the
West, including photography and printing techniques. The natural plant colors
used in ukiyo-e were also replaced by chemical aniline dyes imported from
Germany. While ukiyo-e, being largely replaced by photography, went out of
fashion in Japan during the bunmei-kaika (文明開化, Japan's Westernization
movement during the early Meiji period) it became a source of inspiration in
Europe for cubism and many impressionist painters, such as van Gogh, Monet,
Degas, Klimt, and many others. This influence has been called Japonism.
In the 20th century, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods, ukiyo-e experienced a
revival in the forms of the shin hanga and sōsaku hanga movements, both aiming
to differentiate themselves from the tradition of commercial mass art. Somewhat
ironically, shin hanga, literally new prints, was driven largely by exports to the
United States. Inspired by European impressionism, the artists incorporated
Western elements such as the effects of light and the expression of individual
moods, but focused on strictly traditional themes. The major publisher was
Watanabe Shozaburo, who is credited with creating the movement. Important
artists included Shinsui Ito and Kawase Hasui, who were named Living National
Treasure by the Japanese government.
The less well known sōsaku hanga movement, literally creative prints, followed a
Western concept of what art should be: the product of the creativity of the artists,
creativity over artisanship. Traditionally the processes of making ukiyo-e, the
design, the carving, the printing and the publishing, were separated and done by
different and highly specialized people; sōsaku hanga advocated that the artist
should be involved in all stages of production. The movement was formally
established with the formation of the Japanese Creatice Print Society in 1918,
however, it was commercially less successful, as Western collectors preferred the
more traditionally Japanese look of shin hanga.
Ukiyo-e are still produced today and are influential in many ways, inspiring, for
example, manga and anime.
woodblock prints produced between the 17th and the 20th century, featuring
motifs of landscapes, the theater and pleasure quarters.
Ukiyo, meaning "floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that
bloomed in the urban centers of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto
that were a world unto themselves. It is an ironic allusion to the homophone term
"Sorrowful World" (憂き世), the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which
Buddhists sought release. The art form rose to great popularity in the
metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century,
originating with the single-color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s. At
first, only India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a
brush, but in the 18th century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of
polychrome printing to produce nishiki-e.
Ukiyo-e were affordable because they could be mass-produced. They were
meant for mainly townsmen, who were generally not wealthy enough to afford an
original painting. The original subject of ukiyo-e was city life, in particular
activities and scenes from the entertainment district. Beautiful courtesans, bulky
sumo wrestlers and popular actors would be portrayed while engaged in
appealing activities. Later on landscapes also became popular. Political subjects,
and individuals above the lowest strata of society (courtesans, wrestlers and
actors) were not sanctioned in these prints and very rarely appeared. Sex was
not a sanctioned subject either, but continually appeared in ukiyo-e prints. Artists
and publishers were sometimes punished for creating these sexually explicit
shunga.
History
Ukiyo-e can be categorized into several different art periods: the Edo period,
which comprises ukiyo-e from its origins in until about 1867, when the Meiji period
began and lasted until 1912. The Edo period was largely a period of calm which
provided an ideal environment for the development of the art in a commercial
form; while the Meiji period is characterized by new influences as Japan opened
up to the West.
The roots of ukiyo-e can be traced to the urbanization that took place in the late
16th century which led to the development of a class of merchants and artisans
who began writing stories or novels, and painting pictures, compiled together in
ehon (絵本, picture books, books with stories and picture illustrations), such as
the 1608 edition of Tales of Ise (Ise-monogatari) by Hon'ami Kōetsu. Ukiyo-e
were often used for illustrations in these books, but came into their own as single-
sheet prints (e.g. postcards or kakemono-e), or were posters for the kabuki
theater. Inspirations were initially Chinese tales and artworks. Many stories were
based on urban life and culture, guidebooks were also popular, and all in all had
a commercial nature and were widely available. Hishikawa Moronobu, who
already used polychrome painting, became very influential after the 1670s.
In the mid-18th century, techniques allowed for production of full-color prints,
called nishiki-e, and the ukiyo-e that are reproduced today on postcards and
calendars, date from this period on. Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Sharaku
were the prominent artists of this period. After studying European artworks
receding perspective entered the pictures and other ideas were picked up.
Katsushika Hokusai's pictures depicted mostly landscapes and nature. His Thirty-
Six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景, Fugaku sanjurokkei) were published starting
around 1831. Ando Hiroshige and Kunisada also published many pictures drawn
on motifs from nature.
In 1842, and as part of the Tenpo reforms, pictures of courtesans, geisha and
actors (e.g. onnagata) were banned. Pictures with these motifs experienced
some revival though, when they were permitted again.
During the Kaei era (1848–1854), many foreign merchant ships came to Japan.
The ukiyo-e of that time reflect the cultural changes.
Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan became open to imports from the
West, including photography and printing techniques. The natural plant colors
used in ukiyo-e were also replaced by chemical aniline dyes imported from
Germany. While ukiyo-e, being largely replaced by photography, went out of
fashion in Japan during the bunmei-kaika (文明開化, Japan's Westernization
movement during the early Meiji period) it became a source of inspiration in
Europe for cubism and many impressionist painters, such as van Gogh, Monet,
Degas, Klimt, and many others. This influence has been called Japonism.
In the 20th century, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods, ukiyo-e experienced a
revival in the forms of the shin hanga and sōsaku hanga movements, both aiming
to differentiate themselves from the tradition of commercial mass art. Somewhat
ironically, shin hanga, literally new prints, was driven largely by exports to the
United States. Inspired by European impressionism, the artists incorporated
Western elements such as the effects of light and the expression of individual
moods, but focused on strictly traditional themes. The major publisher was
Watanabe Shozaburo, who is credited with creating the movement. Important
artists included Shinsui Ito and Kawase Hasui, who were named Living National
Treasure by the Japanese government.
The less well known sōsaku hanga movement, literally creative prints, followed a
Western concept of what art should be: the product of the creativity of the artists,
creativity over artisanship. Traditionally the processes of making ukiyo-e, the
design, the carving, the printing and the publishing, were separated and done by
different and highly specialized people; sōsaku hanga advocated that the artist
should be involved in all stages of production. The movement was formally
established with the formation of the Japanese Creatice Print Society in 1918,
however, it was commercially less successful, as Western collectors preferred the
more traditionally Japanese look of shin hanga.
Ukiyo-e are still produced today and are influential in many ways, inspiring, for
example, manga and anime.