Japanese Ukiyo-e Appreciation · Issue 1: Beauties and Courtesans Paintings (3)

Author: Wu Guiyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Kitagawa Utamaro (1758-1806) was an outstanding master of ukiyo-e and the grandmaster of Japanese bijin-ga (beauty painting). His emergence brought the creation of bijin-ga to its golden age. The works include sensual half-length portraits of beautiful women, close-ups of their features, and detailed depictions of the curious lives of courtesans in Edo. Whether it was luxurious courtesans or impoverished ones struggling for a living on the streets, this artist could vividly portray their distinct inner natures and vastly different circumstances through meticulous character portrayal and skillful combinations of posture, leaving viewers in awe.
Ukiyo-e refers to the genre of folk paintings from the Edo period in Japan. The term "ukiyo" originates from Buddhist terminology, meaning the myriad phenomena of the world, or the social realities one sees and hears. In the late 17th century, it was adopted by Japanese scholars for artistic purposes, giving rise to ukiyo-e. The production of ukiyo-e began with more expensive ink paintings, followed by the well-known woodblock prints. Ukiyo-e includes folk paintings centered on beautiful women, actor paintings depicting kabuki performers, as well as landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, grasses, and animal paintings. Among these, bijin-ga and actor paintings, which are collectively known as the two major themes of ukiyo-e, are celebrated for their unique charm and have attracted worldwide attention, with many being preserved in major museums around the world.