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 Ukiyo-e (浮世絵, lit. "pictures of the floating world")
is a style of painting, but is more commonly associated with a type of
woodblock print art that became popular in
Japan in the 18th and 19th centuries. The art form arose in the
metropolitan culture of
Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century, originating
with the single color works of
Moronobu Hishikawa.
Ukiyo-e prints were made using the following procedure:
- The artist produced a master painting
- Craftsmen traced the painting, producing a paper template for each
color
- Templates were glued to woodblocks and the blocks were carved
through the paper.
- Woodblocks were sequentially impressed onto paper. After impressing
all woodblocks, the final print were obtained.
Ukiyo-e were a relatively cheap way of making many images. They were
meant for mainly townsmen, who weren't rich enough to buy an original
painting. The original subject of Ukiyo-e was city life, in particular
activities and scenes from the entertaintainment district. Beautiful
courtesans and actors would be portrayed while engaged in appealing
activities. Later on
landscapes also became popular.
Ukiyo-e were a source of inspiration for many
European impressionist painters.
The most important Ukiyo-e artist are:
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