Today, I would like to talk and introduce you a traditional Japanese artistic movement that I pretty like.
Japanese culture and history are very rich and intricate, between traditions and customs, the country of the Rising Sun transports us in different landscapes and life philosophy. However, whereas Japan opened his doors to the entire world, Japanese art had started to interest occidental countries during the 19th century, especially the impressionist artists.
The Ukiyo-e, also called “Image of the floating world”, is one of the artistic movement from the 13th to the 19th century, consisting in making woodcut prints, which inspired occidental artists. Then proud successor to the Yamato-e art movement, Moronobu is considered as the founder and the first artist of this movement. At first badly perceived, because of its negative Buddhist connotation (miserable world), it only became popular in 1600 when it began to be used for purely advertising purposes, for theater posters and traders. Subsequently, many variants and subcategories of Ukiyo-e appeared, such as the Shin-hanga (landscapes and women) or the Sosaku Hanga (Westernization).
The appearance of shungas (erotic engravings) leads to the start of censorship and condemnations. The death of Hiroshige Utagawa marked the end of the movement.
Let's a master printmarker of the modern time explain how it works.
Some artworks
The Great Wave off Kanagawa
25.7 cm × 37.8 cm
Katsushika Hokusai
Hakone Kosui
24.1 x 35.9 cm
Utagawa Hiroshige
Mitsukini defying the Skeleton-Specter
35,9 x 74,2 cm
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Some famous artists
Katsushika Hokusai Hokusai was born on October 31, 1760 in Edo that we know today under the name of Tokyo and died on May 10, 1849 in the same city. He was adopted by his uncle, and from his youngest age seems very interested in the arts. At the age of 18, he apprenticed to Katsukawa Sunsho, the latter being a Ukiyo-e artist famous for his actor prints. It was with him that he began his works signed under a pseudonym, until he left the workshop after the death of his Master. Later, he meets Shiba Konkan who teaches him perspective. He's famous for its Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji, including The Wave from Kanagawa. But he is also known as the God of Manga, thanks to its publication of collections of sketches named “Manga. "
Moronobu Hishikawa Moronobu was born in Kyonan in 1618 and died in Edo in 1694. He was the son of a dyer, a profession he decided to learn before leaving to study art at Tosa's and Kano's schools. He became Kambun's apprentice. Throughout his life he is said to have produced over 150 illustrated books and was the greatest Ukiyo-e artist of 1670. He was known for his shungas. Although he is considered the founder of Ukiyo-e, he was not, but the maturity he brought to his prints made him the representative of the movement.
Utagawa Hiroshige Hiroshige, whose real name is Ando Tokutaro was born in 1797 in Edo and died in 1858 in the same city. He would have been born in a barracksfirefighter, where his father worked. His parents died when he was a teenager and he inherited the barracks which he cares of until his 27 years. He tried for the first time to enter a school, but he was refused. However, he was accepted into the Utagawa Toyohiro's studio specialist in landscape prints. After the death of his master, he decides to name himself Toyohiro II and takes over the workshop.He connects the portraits of actors, bijin-ga and warriors.Thanks to Hokusai who leads the way in landscape prints, he puts himself to become a landscaper and became famous from 1833.