The Edo period lasted over 250 years, and is well known for its art; poetry, plays, and in particular, the art prints, ukiyo-e. These prints were produced from intricately carved woodblocks, and relief-printed onto paper. They required a great level of time and skill to create.
“To print with precision using numerous blocks on a single paper sheet, a system of placing two cuts on the edge of each block to serve as alignment guides was employed. Paper made from the inner bark of mulberry trees was favoured, as it was strong enough to withstand numerous rubbings on the various woodblocks and sufficiently absorbent to take up the ink and pigments.” (1)
Initially Introduced from China in the 8th century as a way to reproduce handwritten scrolls, the 17th century saw these techniques adopted and perfected for creating images as well. At the time, only black and white inks were available, and printmaking remained the same for almost a hundred years. As the 18th century drew to a close however, coloured inks were introduced to the process, spurring new developments in the style of ukiyo-e.
Ukiyo-e, meaning “pictures of the floating world,” depicted the simple pleasures of everyday life, celebrating peace in a country that had been divided for centuries. These prints featured scenes from the kabuki theatre, tea houses and restaurants, the female form, and myths and legends. Gradually, the typical bold lines became more refined and delicate, and the subject matter more harsh and risqué. (2)
Effects of Japan reopening to the West: Japonisme
In the mid 18th century, Commodore Matthew C. Perry sailed into the bay of Tokyo with a fleet of American warships. He had been commissioned to convince Japan to reopen its borders for trade after it had been closed to the West for over two centuries; knowing their navy was no match against the warships, Japan’s governing body, the Tokugawa shogunate, conceded.
Not long after all manner of wares were being shipped into Europe. England and France in particular were fascinated by these exotic imports, especially their artists; Audrey Beardsley, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Gustave Klimt, Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh, and Franz Marc, are all big names in art history who took inspiration from Ukiyo-e. (3)
Notable artists from this period include:
Hishikawa Moronobu: primarily active before the introduction of coloured inks, Hishikawa used bold line art inspired by his understanding of calligraphy. His family belonged to the textile business, so he was very familiar with the movement of fabrics.
Suzuki Harunobu: when colour became more prevalent, a new style arose, referred to as benizuri-e, or “rose prints” for the subtle blush pink and sage green hues commonly used. Harunobu was known for his naturalism, featuring graceful, flowing figures that conveyed a sense of emotion and harmony.
Kitagawa Utamaro: perhaps one of the most influential artists on future Western audiences was Utamaro, whose works were often erotic in nature. This genre of ukiyo-e was called shunga, and would go on to captivate the artistic audiences in the West.
Katsushika Hokusai: now considered the most renowned artist from the entirety of the Edo period, Hokusai’s use of perspective and background, contrast, form and scale has become legendary.
