this assignment will introduce you to edo (1615-1868) and
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ARTH305 Guided Observation 3: Japanese Woodblock Prints
This assignment will introduce you to Edo (1615-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) Period Japanese woodblock prints by asking you to examine how four major themes in Edo and Meiji Period woodblock prints were treated by several prominent woodblock print designers. Introduction: Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, or prints of the “floating world,” were popular among wealthy urbanites of the Edo Period (1615-1868). Produced for mass consumption, they most frequently depict popular kabuki actors or the seductive courtesans that lived in the urban pleasure districts. Later, their subject matter expanded to include famous landscapes, ghosts and demons, and eventually, during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), historical events. Although today we associate each of these prints with their respective designers, they could not have been produced without the collaboration between a designer, engraver, printer, and publisher. Throughout this exercise, try to think about why these prints would have been so popular during the Edo Period and why they remain popular today among North American and European collectors and museum goers.
Note on the prints used: The following prints are from the collection of the Library of Congress. For more about this collection and to search for other works, please visit the Library of Congress’s “Fine Prints: Japanese, Pre-1915.” I. Kabuki Actors
Instructions: During the Edo Period, kabuki theater was popular among commoners; its actors, all of whom were male, were the “rock stars” of their day. Ukiyo-e prints served as advertisements and were also part of a fan culture in which people collected prints of their favorite actors. The first example below was created by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of Edo Period woodblock prints. The majority of the prints he designed are of actors or other subjects related to kabuki theater. The second was designed by the rather mysterious Tōshūsai Sharaku (active 17940-1795), whose brief, but illustrious career designing prints depicting Kabuki actors lasted less than a year. Look at the two prints linked below, keeping the following questions in mind:
How much attention is paid to the costumes and hairstyles of the figures in each of these prints? Why might this be?
Overall, is the portrayal of the actors in one of these prints more individualized than the other? How is this accomplished?
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This tetraptych is a single print made up of four sheets that depicts unnamed actors playing the roles of Saitogo Kunitake, Tadanokurando Yukitsuna, Narutonomae, and Akugenta Yoshihra. It was created and published between around 1847/48.
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This print was created sometime around 1795 and depicts two famous kabuki actors in their well-known roles. II. Courtesans and Beautiful Women
Instructions: Although at first the majority of prints depicted the seductive high-rank courtesans of the urban pleasure districts, with time, this genre expanded to include lower-ranked courtesans, geishas (who were musicians and dancers), historical and fictional characters, and everyday women. The two following prints are early examples of this genre. Both depict courtesans and were designed by artists who were famous for their portrayal of bijin-ga or pictures of beautiful women. Look at the two prints linked below, keeping the following questions in mind:
How is the female body portrayed in each of the prints?
How much attention is paid to the costumes and hairstyles of the figures in each of these prints? Why might this be?
Overall, is the portrayal of the women in either of these two prints more individualized than the other? How is this accomplished?
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This print was designed by Suzuki Harunobu (1724-1770) between 1767 and 1769 and depicts a courtesan and her female attendant walking through the snow. A male servant accompanies them carrying a large parasol. Note: Because the paper does not correspond with the period in which it was produced, this print may be a later impression or outright reproduction.
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: The original production date of this print is not known. It was designed by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753?-1806) and depicts a courtesan, Suzume, who wears a transparent hat and holds a fan. Note: Yoshiwara was the name of the pleasure district in Edo. III. Famous Landscapes
Meisho-e, or pictures of famous places, were another popular theme for woodblock print artists. Often, these places had literary, historical, or seasonal associations. The following two prints were designed by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1859) and Andō Hiroshige (1797-1858) and are from a series that depict different views of Mount Fuji. Look at the two prints below, keeping the following questions in mind:
How is the mountain depicted in each of the prints?
How are humans depicted in relation to the mountain/nature in each print?
Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This print was originally designed between 1826 and 1833 but printed later. It depicts lightning below the summit of Mount Fuji.
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This print was originally published by Tsutaya Kichizō in 1858. It depicts Mount Fuji from the Sagami River, where two men balance atop poling rafts with herons flying above and diving into the river. IV. Ghost and Demons
Ghosts and Demons are not traditionally considered one of the four major genres* designed by Edo and Meiji Period print designers, but like shunga or erotic prints, they were created by many of the major ukiyo-e artists. Both of the following prints were designed by Tsukioka/Taiso Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), an artist whose works span both the Edo and Meiji Periods and who worked on several series depicting popular ghost stories. Look at the two prints linked below, keeping the following questions in mind:
How are the ghosts/demons depicted in each of these prints?
How is the notion of the supernatural communicated in each of these prints?
How might this relate to the kind of ghost or demon that is depicted?
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This print is from Yoshitoshi’s series “One Hundred Tales of China and Japan.” It depicts a scene from a popular legend where the warrior Ōya Tarō Mitsukuni watches a battle between skeletons that has been conjured by the sorceress Princess Takiyasha.
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Terms of Use: The image above is in the public domain.
About the image: This print is from Yoshitoshi’s series, “One Hundred Aspects of the Moon” and references popular Japanese kitsune or fox lore. It depicts a child grasping the tail of a women’s kimono as she exits through a door. The light thrown on the screen shows the woman’s true form and depicts the outline of a fox’s head. * The fourth major genre, historical prints, includes interesting and challenging subject material, but was developed during the Meiji Period and therefore lies beyond the scope of this course.