The Beginning And Historical Past Of The Ukiyo-e Of Japan

Ukiyo-e literally means "pictures of the floating world" or the passing of time. It was employed for the first time by writer Asai Ryoi in 1661. The term basically covers the Buddhist notion of impermanence of the visible world, imbued with poetic melancholy. It refers to these images printed with carved wooden boards (woodcut, prints), produced between the 17th and 20th century development characteristics of city life and the emergence of a middle class deal with religious and military classes, and nobility that constituted only until then the subjects of Japanese pictorial art.

Early ukiyo-e from the 17th century were printed in black and white (sumizuri-e). A single plank of wood, reproducing the image in relief, was then used for printing. Nevertheless, demand for color quickly appeared. The first "floating world pictures" in color, also called nishiki-e, were then produced by finishing with a brush of sumizuri-e, and tedious process which made the picture very expensive. At that time, indeed, ukiyo-e was not considered fine art. It was more commercial crafts. In fact most of the orders came from theaters, actors of Kabuki and No to their advertising, and individuals for images of city life, sumo wrestlers and geishas. The new middle class, wealthy merchants, bankers nobles and samurai, became the patrons of a new art whose subjects were taken from the daily lives of people in cities (Chonina), in which they could identify. Masanobu and Suzuki Harunobu Okomura are the first to introduce color printing, using many planks of wood for the same image, one for each color. It's not really until the early 20th century ukiyo-e taken acclaim for finally being considered a "worthy" form of art. It is particularly through its discovery by European artists, the ukiyo-e started to have this recognition. Of particular note is the same attraction and inspiration generated by these images of the floating world from the Impressionists.

The history of ukiyo-e begins with the Edo (1603-1868) Tokugawa shogunate. This era of isolationism when Japan is impervious to any foreign interference and influence, was the scene of the consecration of the culture and Japanese tradition, where a centralized authority codified all aspects of national life. The urban bourgeoisie began to emerge during the early trade with the West, flourished thanks to the stability and established despite the end of foreign relations. Prosperity enabled the development of culture and leisure. Edo, the new political capital (which later became Tokyo) became the cradle of a culture that was born on Kabuki, Haiku and the ukiyo-e for the pleasure of the new wealthy in search of beauty. With the forced opening of Japan by the U.S. (1853), and the seizure of power by the Emperor Meiji (1867), the West rediscovers then society and Japanese culture, which themselves are then launched into a phase force modernization. It's the Meiji (1868-1912). Just as the Impressionists were influenced by ukiyo-e, Western art and photography exerted an influence on Japanese graphic arts. This is known as new wave - shin hanga. In the case of prints among printmakers traditional ukiyo-e and the masters of the new prints, there are artists of transition, whose works reflect the culture shock of the Meiji period. The new wave is also characterized by the abandonment of natural dyes for chemical dyes imported from Germany.

To read more about Ukiyo-e visit my article about Japanese Prints.