Japanese Ukiyo-e Appreciation Series II: Performing Artists Painting (II)

Author: Utagawa Hiroshige
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Actor Print – Woodblock print depicting Kabuki actors. Ukiyo-e refers to the genre of genre painting in 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 visible and audible. By the late 17th century, it was adopted by Japanese scholars for artistic purposes, giving rise to ukiyo-e. The production method of ukiyo-e involved first creating more expensive ink paintings, followed by the familiar woodblock prints. Ukiyo-e includes genre paintings centered on beautiful women, actor prints depicting Kabuki actors, as well as landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, grasses, and paintings of animals and plants. Among these, the beautiful woman and actor prints, which are collectively known as the two major themes of ukiyo-e, are celebrated for their unique charm, attracting worldwide attention and being widely collected by major museums around the world.