Japanese Ukiyo-e Appreciation Series II: Insects · Grass · Flowers · Birds Paintings

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 social realities one sees and hears. In the late 17th century, it was adopted by Japanese scholars and artists 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 around beautiful women, artist portraits depicting Kabuki actors, as well as landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, grasses, and plants. Among these, the beautiful women paintings and artist portraits, 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 globe.