Art Ukiyo-e: Japanese woodblock prints and paintings

[JREF]

This thread is for the general discussion of the Article Ukiyo-e - Japanese woodblock prints and paintings.

Click the link to read the article or add to the discussion here.

 

[thomas]

The article linked above provides a concise overview of the history of Japanese woodblock prints. It is an ongoing labour of love. I want to use this thread not only to post updates but also to allow our members to share some of the famous and lesser-known examples of Japanese woodblock prints. Show us your favourites.

If you share pictures of woodblock prints, please include the artist's name, title, year, and other information about the work.

I'm still contemplating whether we should allow shunga, too (perhaps with spoiler tags).


We also have a ukiyo-e category in the Media gallery, and this thread might reference some of the works there.

 

[thomas]

To get the ball rolling, I'll start by posting a famous print by Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿; c.1753-1806) from his bijinga (美人画) series.

A Parent's Moralising Spectacles (教訓親の目鑑・本性者, ca. 1798-1802)

In this series, Utamaro reflects on the moral decline of contemporary women, focusing on a character trait accompanied by a text written from a parent's perspective. The woman above diligently practices calligraphy but hides her character flaws behind a facade of propriety, which Utamaro considers even more deceitful. The title of each print is written within a pair of spectacles, hinting at the fact that each woman is being closely scrutinised—by her parents and a patriarchal society.

 

[thomas]

The Hikone screen (彦根屏風, Hikone byōbu) is considered the earliest work of ukiyo-e. In 1955, it was designated a National Treasure of Japan and given the official name Shihon Kinjichaku-shoku Fuzoku-zu (紙本金地著色風俗図)—unknown artist.

The 94-x-274.8-centimetre byōbu screen depicts a scene where eleven male and female figures amuse themselves. On the left, a blind man and some women play shamisens before a four-panel byōbu screen with a painted landscape. To their right, a group of men and women play a sugoroku board game.

 

[thomas]

Utagawa Hiroshige (painted 1840-1843) Asakusa Kinryūzan (Kinryūzan Temple at Asakusa from Famous Places in Edo - Edo Meisho)

 

[thomas]

I'll continue with a few of the more iconic ukiyo-e, household names of the Edo period.

Below is Utagawa Hiroshige's "Plum Garden at Kameido Shrine" (亀戸梅屋舗 Kameido Umeyashiki).

This print is part of Hiroshige's series "One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo" (名所江戸百景 Meisho Edo Hyakkei). Van Gogh replicated this design in 1887, elevating it to one of the most impactful ukiyo-e art prints. The tree depicted is the Sleeping Dragon Plum, celebrated for its double white blossoms, which were so pure they were believed to dispel darkness from the soul.

 

[Majestic]

Is this one from your own collection, Thomas?
Van Gogh loved this print, and made a copy of it including his own rendition of some of the printer's notations, reproduced as best as he could without knowing kanji. Fascinating to me to see the connection between these two artists, and to think about the impact one had on the other.

 

[thomas]

Is this one from your own collection, Thomas?

I wish! Let's say it's from my digital collection.

I believe the print above is from the British Museum.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

The ones I posted here years ago were in a California museum if I remember right. The were in draws and they would pull it out and snap a shot. Took a lot of Photoshopping to get them ready to post.

 

[thomas]

They can all be found in the Ukiyo-e section of the Media Gallery.

 

[thomas]

View of Maruyama in Nagasaki by Utagawa Hiroshige II, from the series "One hundred views of famous places in the various provinces," 1859, British Museum, London.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Always love the rich colors in these.

 

[thomas]

To reflect the current heatwave in Japan, a few summer-themed ukiyo-e:

Okumura, Kōichi (奥村 皓一, 1904-1974), Yashima in Summer (1949)

"Yashima no Natsu," with storm clouds dominating the blue sky over Yashima in Hiroshima prefecture in the summer.

Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水, 1883-1957), Early Summer Rain Arakawa (1932)

Kobayashi, Eijiro (小林英二郎, 1870-1946), Summer Evening on the Sumida River (late 1930s)

Utagawa Hiroshige, Summer Trees Blossoms

Ayase River and Kanegafuchi, No. 63 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

 

[thomas]

Here's another one from the British Museum collection:

Evening Glow at Ryōgoku Bridge (両国橋の夕照 Ryōgoku-bashi no sekishō) by Torii Kiyonaga (鳥居清長, 1752-1815), from the series "Eight Views of Edo" (江戸八 Edo Hakkei).

 

[thomas]

Mizuno Rochō (水野廬朝, 1748-1836), Three Vinegar Tasters, 1816, Weston Collection.

This woodblock print is based on an allegoric Chinese image representing three elderly men tasting vinegar.

 

[thomas]

Something more modern, summer-themed:


Tsuchiya Kōitsu (土屋光逸, 1870-1949), Summer Moon at Miyajima (夏の月 宮島); Oban yoko-e 1936

​

 

[Majestic]

That is beautiful...one might even say Majestic.

 

[thomas]

Tsuchiya Kōitsu (土屋光逸, 1870-1949), Moonlit Evening at Osaka Castle (大阪城の月夜), 1932

 

[thomas]

Katsushika Hokusai, Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province (Sōshū Ōyama Rōben no taki), from the series "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces" (諸國瀧廻リ 相州大山ろうべんの瀧, Shokoku taki meguri), ca. 1827.

Katsushika Hokusai was famous for his series Fugaku Sanjurokkei (冨嶽三十六景, Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji). The series is a set of eight pictures featuring waterfalls in various regions and was published by Nishimuraya Yohachi). It is characterised by the abundant use of Vero indigo (an imported blue pigment known as Prussian Blue), typical of Hokusai's works of this period.

Rōben Falls, located at Mt. Ōyama in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, flows powerfully from between the rugged mountains. Using the board blurring technique, the gently arching waterfall is depicted in three dimensions. Men dressed in loincloths are hunched over as they stand under the waterfall. There is something familiar about their movements and expressions. Pilgrimages to Ishison Gongen on Mt. Ōyama became popular in the mid-Edo period. Pilgrimages had to take a water ablution and purify themselves before visiting the central shrine at the summit. This painting depicts one such water ablution scene.

Seven other illustrations are part of the 'Waterfalls of the Provinces' (諸国瀧廻り) series: 'Waterfalls of Aoiigaoka in the Eastern Capital', 'Waterfalls of Yoro in Mino Province', 'Kirifuri Waterfalls on Mount Kurogashiyama in Shimono', 'Kiyotaki Kwanon on the Tokaido Highway', 'Ono Waterfalls on the Kiso Kaido', 'Yoshino-Gitsune Maarai Waterfalls in Yoshino, Washu' and 'Oku Ayatagataki Waterfalls on Kiso-ji'.

 

[thomas]

Two views of Inume-tōge ("Dog-Eye Pass") in Kai Province (modern-day Yamanashi).



"The Inume Pass in Kai Province" (Kōshū Inumetōge), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) by Katsushika Hokusai (冨嶽三十六景 甲州犬目峠|), ca. 1830-32:

"Dog Eye Pass in Kai Province" (Kai Inumetōge), from the series "36 Views of Mt Fuji" by Utagawa Hiroshige, around 1858:

 

[thomas]

This might interest our AI graphic champ @mdchachi:

Evo-Ukiyoe, a groundbreaking AI system developed by IT engineer and classical Japanese literature scholar Tarin Clanuwat, generates immense interest. By feeding the system 24,038 scans of actual ukiyo-e woodblock prints, Clanuwat has created a tool to transform any text prompt into a stunning ukiyo-e-style image. The goal? To introduce the timeless beauty of this art form to a modern audience. Launched on July 22nd by Sakana AI, a Japanese startup, Evo-Ukiyoe is already captivating users worldwide with its ability to produce unique and authentic-looking ukiyo-e art.

Real works were used in the hope of reproducing not only the iconic color combinations, but also the texture of "washi" paper. The AI model is exclusively distributed to parties who use it for education, research and development. However, anyone can input prompts to try out the system for free on Sakana AI's demo website. Conventional AI models often fail to accurately recreate ukiyo-e's distinctive style even if the prompt explicitly includes the term "ukiyo-e." For example, for "a male in the ukiyo-e style," one tool generated an illustration of a bearded man clad in a woman's kimono. This bothered Clanuwat, as did "too many colors" showing up the AI art. Given that ukiyo-e are largely defined by using woodblocks for reproductions, there would have been a limited number of hues available during its heyday.

The same prompt, "a man operating a laptop," generated images with OpenAI's DALL-E system, left, and Sakana AI's Evo-Ukiyoe, right.​

Academics, startup release AI tool that makes ukiyo-e | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Link:

Sakana AI

Sakana AI released Evo-Ukiyoe, an ukiyo-e style image generation model, and Evo-Nishikie, an ukiyo-e colourization model.

jref.com

 

[thomas]

Next are two famous prints by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎, 1760-1849):

"Red Fuji" (赤富士 Akafuji) or "Fine Wind, Clear Morning" (凱風快晴 Gaifū kaisei), c. 1830 to 1832.

The early autumn spectacle of a southerly wind and clear sky provides the perfect conditions for the rising sun to paint Mount Fuji in hues of crimson.

And "Black Fuji" (黒富士 Kurofuji) or "Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit" (山下白雨 Sanka hakuu), c. 1830 to 1832.

In stark contrast to the serene "Fine Wind, Clear Morning," this rendition of Mount Fuji is shrouded in a dark, ominous atmosphere. The once hazy mountain is now sharply defined, its snowy peak dramatically contrasting with a lightning-scarred base rendered in bold, abstract strokes. While still touched by a thin line of Prussian blue, the sky is filled with smoke-like clouds that cling ominously to the mountain's form.

 

[thomas]

Another summer-themed print:

Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重, 1797-1858), A Red Plum Branch against the Summer Moon (夏月に対する赤い梅の枝), c.1840; 23.6 × 31.5 cm.

 

[thomas]

Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞, 1786-1865), Woman beside a Mosquito Net, from the series Starlight Frost and Modern Manners (星の霜当世風俗, Hoshi no shimo tōsei fūzoku), c. 1819

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, vertical ōban; 39 x 27 cm

With her kimono slightly dishevelled, the woman is trying to incinerate a mosquito that entered her mosquito net. The uchiwa (fan) at the bottom shows her favourite kabuki actor, Onoe Kikugoro III (1784-1849), whose kimono style she tries to mimic as the dandy Sukeroku, a role he performed in 1819. Her headrest fell over during the chase.

 

[thomas]

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), "Izuma Province, Hotohoto Festival at Izumo Shrine" (広重「六十余州名所図会 出雲 大社ほとほとの図」) produced by Koshimuraya Heisuke in 1853. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and colour on paper.

I'm not sure where or when the second print was made, but the difference in colour and quality is striking.

Pilgrims in Mist at Izumo Taisha:

This woodblock print from the renowned "Rokujū-yoshū Meisho Zue" (六十余州名所図会) series depicts a serene yet mystical scene at Izumo Taisha, Japan's oldest Shintō shrine. Shrouded in a heavy mist, the iconic Torii gate stands prominently to the right. Renowned as the gathering place for all of Japan's Shintō deities annually from the 11th to 17th days of the 10th lunar month (typically November), the shrine is also a popular destination for those seeking love and companionship.

The "Rokujū-yoshū Meisho Zue" is a series of famous landscapes across Japan that Hiroshige painted later in life.