Japanese Ukiyo-e Appreciation Series 2: Children's Paintings (Postcards)

Author: Wu Guiyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: "Children's paintings" themed by children can also be found in Japanese ukiyo-e. The content of the works often revolves around the games, customs, and traditions of children during different festivals or the twelve months of the year. This volume selects outstanding children's paintings by master ukiyo-e artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Toshusai Hiroshige, Suzuki Harunobu, and Ishikawa Toyohiro.
Ukiyo-e 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 visible and audible social realities. By the late 17th century, it was adopted by Japanese scholars and artists, 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, actor prints depicting Kabuki performers, as well as landscapes, depictions of flowers, birds, insects, grasses, and plants. Among these, the beautiful woman paintings and actor prints, which are collectively known as the two major themes of ukiyo-e, are renowned for their unique charm, attracting widespread attention from people around the world and being widely preserved in major museums globally.