Images of the floating world

Utagawa Hiroshige, Oiso from 53 Stations on Tokaido

Ukiyo-e is a classic form of woodblock printing spanning 250 years of Japanese history.

It coincides with the Edo period, beginning with the military dictatorship of the Tokugawa shogun dynasty after 1600, and ending in 1868 when Emperor Meiji was restored and the imperial capital established in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) instead of Kyoto.

Ukiyo-e』s original meaning derives from Buddhism, and can be translated literally as pictures of (『-e』) the suffering (uki』) of life (『yo』), warning of the impermanence of life and its desires. However, the art form became closely associated with social changes resulting from the controlling hierarchy demanded under the peace and prosperity of the Shogunate』s rule.

During this time another ideogram surfaced, also pronounced 『uki』 but meaning 『to float』. Thus began the imagery』s inextricable relationship with the worldly pleasures of Japan』s rising middle class, connoting instead transient events based on gratification.

Strictly forbidden to travel under the new ruler, the increasingly wealthy Edo and Kyoto merchants instead took over cultural activities. They found escape in Sumo wrestling, the beauty of nature, Kabuki theatres and pleasure quarters inspired by dashing actors performing the latest plays, and witty Geisha accomplished in music and poetry.

Ukiyo-e developed concurrently as a new aesthetic glorifying this floating world of fashions and passions while Edo was founded as Japan』s political and commercial centre.

Art Form

Kitagawa Utamaro, 『Flowers of Edo: Young Woman』s Narrative Chanting to the Samisen.』

The art form mostly portrays the everyday life of Edo, including the culture of the Yoshiwara (licensed brothel) quarter, landscapes and legends, birds and flowers, and actors and courtesans. From the early 18th century, woodblock prints provided an inexpensive alternative to paintings of popular figures with mass numbers of prints made available to everyone.

Initially, landscapes were a prop for ukiyo-e scenes but became an independent genre from the 1770s. At the turn of the century, most activity had shifted to Edo with ukiyo-e entering its golden age, focusing predominantly on feminine beauty as seen in the works of Kitagawa Utamaro (1754-1806). By the 1830s landscapes had lost their subtlety, mainly due to Western art』s growing influence. The art form finally began to die out after the policy of Westernisation that arose from the Meiji restoration in 1868.

The Printing Process

Ukiyo-e compositions were characterised by lack of perspective and shadow, stylised forms with clear outlines, flat areas of often arbitrary colour with small details rejected, and generally the subject was off-centre. Printing was based on a traditional collaborative process, funded by a publisher, whereby the artist created the designs while master craftsmen carved and printed them. This was equivalent to the apprentice and guild system, and fostered technical perfection due to the division of labour. Some carvers specialised only in landscapes or figures, producing a key block with the major elements in black outline, followed by areas of mass and pattern cut in successive blocks. These fitted together to form the relief printing surface. At first colour was brushed onto monochrome prints but by 1740 polychrome techniques with water-based inks created delicate colours similar in appearance to watercolour painting. Rather than using a press, the printing paper was placed on top of the consecutively inked blocks, and impressions made by hand rubbing with a special pressing pad called a 『baren』.

Hokusai』s Great Wave of Inspiration

One of the most famous and prolific ukiyo-e masters was Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) who is believed to have produced over 4000 works and 300 illustrated books. Some of Hokusai』s best known prints are seen in 36 Views of Mount Fuji such as The Great Wave at Kanagawa.

In his 1814 book of black and white sketches called Manga (whimsical sketches), there is a similarity to the modern Japanese art form with its graphic novels full of print cartoons depicting a range of topics such as fantasy and adventure. Believed to be a truculent genius, Hokusai is also remembered for his erotic prints or shunga, which were much in demand at that time.

Hiroshige the 『Master of Nature』

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was another great master, probably more restrained than Hokusai, who produced various series before his notorious 53 Stations on Tokaido. His works tended to view the subject from a corner, similar to the Western concept of foreshortening, bringing the subject sharply into focus. Hiroshige became the master of portraying the elements such as rain, wind, and nighttime.

Hiroshige』s and Hokusai』s work later inspired European artists when the wave of Japonism took Paris and the rest of the European art world by storm in the late 1800s. The ukiyo-e style is still apparent in today』s Japanese anime which includes traditional hand-painted and computer generated animation.

Kitagawa Utamaro, Young Woman』s Narrative Chanting to the Samisen