Japanese Ukiyo-e Appreciation · Issue 1: Beauties and Courtesan Paintings (Part 1)

Author: Wu Guiyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Ukiyo-e, which refers to the genre of folk paintings from the Edo period of Japan. The term "ukiyo" originates from Buddhist terminology, meaning the myriad phenomena of the world, or the social realities of the eyes and ears. In the late 17th century, it was adopted by Japanese scholars in the field of art, giving rise to ukiyo-e. The production method of ukiyo-e involved first creating more expensive ink paintings, followed by the emergence of the widely known woodblock prints. Ukiyo-e includes folk paintings centered on beautiful women, artist portraits depicting Kabuki actors, as well as landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, grasses, and plants. Among these, the beautiful woman paintings and artist portraits, which are collectively known as the two major themes of ukiyo-e, are renowned for their unique charm, attracting worldwide attention and being widely collected by major museums around the world. Katsushika Hokusai is a distinguished master of ukiyo-e and the grandmaster of beautiful woman paintings in Japan. His emergence brought the creation of beautiful woman paintings into a golden age. His works include semi-portraits of beautiful women with strong sensuality, close-ups of facial features, as well as detailed depictions of the curious lives of courtesans in brothels during the Edo period. Whether it is the luxurious courtesan or the impoverished one struggling to survive on the streets, this artist skillfully portrays their distinct inner natures and vastly different circumstances through meticulous depictions of their characteristics and clever combinations of their postures, leaving viewers in awe.