What is the meaning of the term ukiyo-e?
The term ukiyo-e translates as picture[s] of the floating world. This hedonistic lifestyle came to define the genre's name.
Questions about Ukiyo-e
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the earliest ukiyo-e works emerge and who created them?
The earliest ukiyo-e works emerged in the 1670s with Hishikawa Moronobu's paintings and monochromatic prints of beautiful women. Colour prints were introduced gradually, and at first were only used for special commissions.
Who are the most famous ukiyo-e artists from the late 18th century?
Specialists have prized the portraits of beauties and actors by masters such as Torii Kiyonaga, Utamaro, and Sharaku that were created in the late 18th century. Utamaro made his name in the 1790s with his okubi-e large-headed pictures of beautiful women portraits focusing on the head and upper torso.
How did ukiyo-e influence Western art movements in the late 19th century?
Ukiyo-e was central to forming the West's perception of Japanese art in the late 19th century particularly the landscapes of Hokusai and Hiroshige. From the 1870s onward Japonisme became a prominent trend and had a strong influence on the early French Impressionists such as Edgar Degas Édouard Manet and Claude Monet as well as influencing Post-Impressionists such as Vincent van Gogh.
What caused the decline of ukiyo-e production after 1868?
Following the deaths of these two masters and against the technological and social modernization that followed the Meiji Restoration of 1868 ukiyo-e production went into steep decline. The rapid Westernization of the Meiji period that followed saw woodblock printing turn its services to journalism and face competition from photography.