Ukiyo-e
UKIYO-E
Caroline Gooch
Reed Risinger
HISTORY
The term "ukiyo-e" originally expressed the Buddhist idea of the fleeting sadness (uki) of life (yo). The earliest form of ukiyo-e rose during the Heian period, when they were not prints but paintings, created with a black ink called sumi. However, during the peaceful time of the Edo period, uki caught a new meaning, "to float." The formerly pessimistic term now held a new, brighter meaning that inspired artists to form pieces of art depicting the pleasures they enjoyed in Edo.
The new genre arose amongst the Japanese people and became wildly popular. Translating to “Pictures of the Floating World,” pieces of ukiyo-e primarily portrayed the popular scenes and activities of Edo, ranging from portraits of famous actors to beautiful courtesans. When color was added and the paintings became more complicated, woodblock printing became popular. Woodblock printing made it easier for lower class members to obtain the popular art, as it made creating copies of the art easier for the artist and their team. Ukiyo-e quickly spread throughout Japan, particularly among the middle class, and became one of the main sources of art during the Edo period.
ABOUT
During the Edo period merchants were put in a very low class, even as they gained large sums of income and popularity. They were restricted from spending their money on many things due to their social class, so they channelled their energy (and money) towards other artistic activities. This began the addition and newfound love for the arts and other pleasuring activities in Edo Japan including theater, geisha houses and restaurants. This leisured lifestyle paved the way for artists as they had new, exciting scenes to express through art. Henceforth came the term used by tourists buying the prints, “Edo Pictures.” These prints portrayed the sophisticated nightlife and events an average Japanese person would attend. These activities were depicted as being lovely, graceful and cloud-like in nature. They showed the highest fashion and beauty for women and sturdy, handsome kabuki actors in prints that are similar to modern day movie posters. Because these prints did not reflect the historical basics of Japanese art, they were considered “low” art by the more traditional generation. However, they did obtain subtle references to classic themes from Japanese history. Because of this combination of being in-style and historical, ukiyo-e took delight in being easily affordable yet classy and a sign of worldliness.
Purchasers of ukiyo-e marveled at the unrefined beauty evident in each print. Woodblock printing created an opportunity for prints to be inexpensive, and the popularity of Edo Pictures grew more and more with the passing years. Throughout the Edo period, the pictures of the floating world proved to be an excellent addition to Japanese art and culture.
WOOD-BLOCK PRINTING
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WOOD-BLOCK PRINTING
Before the Edo period, woodblock printing was primarily used for the production of books and other pieces of writing. Later, when the printing began to be used for paintings and art, the prints became known as “Edo prints”. Edo prints are depictions of everyday life as it was for the rising merchant class. Their life consisted of courtesans, kabuki, and other pleasures so ukiyo-e was generally pictures of people. Woodblock printing became very popular because it was cheap to reproduce a print, and Edo prints were often bought by tourists. One carved wooden block could sometimes be used thousands of times, as many as it could before the carvings were worn down.To publish one print, the work of four experts was necessary. There was a designer, an engraver or carver, a printer, and finally the publisher. Along with the experts doing the important work, apprentices or trainees did the simple, easy parts.
Woodblock printing Jobs
Designer: The designer (or artist) sketched the painting and got it to the publisher. The sketches could be of anything from nature, courtesans, and Kabuki theatre.
Engraver: After a sketch of the painting was made, the engraver would transfer the image onto a block of cherry wood. He would then use a sharp knife to cut out the outline of the picture in the direction of the brushstroke. Next, he would carve out everywhere that was not going to be in the picture to make the black outline. This block was called the “key-block”. The key-block was used multiple times to make many different copies of the painting. This process took anywhere from three days, for simple prints, to three weeks for more difficult prints.
Printer: The printer was in charge of making the paint and adding shading. The paint was added to the block with a brush, and then rice starch was added to help adhere the paint to the block and paper. The painting process was what made all of the copies of the image look unique.
Publisher: The publisher worked in sales and determined what was to be drawn. They had the final say in what the artists/designers could create.
Artists
Hishikawa
Moronobu
1618-1694
Torii
Kiyonobu I
1664-1729
Utagawa Hiroshige
1797-1858
HISHIKAWA MORONOBU
Hishikawa Moronobu, the first master of ukiyo-e, discovered the trade while working at his family's textile business. When Moronobu moved to Edo in the seventeenth century, he was well known for illustrations in storybooks. He started with the tosa and kano styles of painting, and eventually moved on to ukiyo-e.
In one of Moronobu’s prints, Two Lovers, he uses lines and curves to show intimacy. To design the print, Moronobu used a black and white style, and shows the objects in the background almost floating. The two individuals in the picture are beginning to intertwine, Moronobu did this to illustrate their closeness and love. He only painted twelve scrolls, but theses were all copied through woodblock printing by his pupils and followers.
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TOSA SCHOOL
One of two popular painting methods of the Edo period in Japan was Tosa. The Tosa school was very well known for its technique, and often painted for the imperial family and nobility. The most common painting format used at the Tosa school was handscrolls and they illustrated novels and books such as the Tale of Genji. At the Tosa school, a painting style called yamato-e was developed. Yamato-e literally means Japanese painting, and the images were of Japanese subject matter, rather than art imported from China. The paint used was usually very bright and thick, and was used to make big shapes and colorful paintings. During the Kamakura period, the Yamato-e artists discovered portraits and began to make images of famous poets, military heros, and courtesans. The Tosa school was very influential to ukiyo-e and the development of other painting styles.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Perez, Louis G. The History of Japan. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. 68-69. Print.
Delay, Nelly. The Art and Culture of Japan. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999. Print.
Paine, Robert Treat, and Alexander Coburn Soper. The Art and Architecture of Japan. New Haven: Yale UP, 1981. Print.
"Production of Japanese Woodblock Prints." Production of Japanese Woodblock Prints. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
"Japanese Painting: Tosa School." Asian Art Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
"Hishikawa Moronobu | Two Lovers | Japan | Edo Period (1615–1868) | The Met." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
"Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
"FAQ: What Were the Origins of Ukiyo-e?" Viewing Japanese Prints: Origins of Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
PICTURES:
