Japanese Ukiyo-e Appreciation Series: Beauties and Courtesans (Part 2)

Author: Wu Guiyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Ukiyo-e, which refers to the genre of folk paintings from the Edo period in Japan. The term "ukiyo" originates from Buddhist language, meaning the myriad phenomena of the world, or the various 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 method of ukiyo-e first involved more expensive ink paintings, followed by the well-known woodblock prints. Ukiyo-e includes folk paintings centered on beautiful women, artist paintings depicting Kabuki actors, as well as landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, grasses, and paintings of animals and plants. Among these, the beautiful woman paintings and artist paintings, which are collectively known as the two major themes of ukiyo-e, are celebrated for their unique charm, attracting widespread attention from people around the world and being widely collected by major museums globally.