As some of you readers may or may not know, I was recently privileged enough to be able to travel around Italy a couple weeks ago. While checking out some of the offerings of the local museums, I saw that the Museo Fondazione Roma was having a special exhibition of Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858). I went into the museum not knowing the first thing about the art of ukiyo-e, otherwise known as “pictures of the floating world.” The museum was displaying 200 works of Hiroshige loaned out by the Honolulu Academy of the Arts. I thought I’d do a little research and share with you guys some of what I got to see: the art, the techniques of ukiyo-e, and Hiroshige’s influence on the Western world.

Pictures of the Floating World

8. Sugugacho from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

We know them as woodblock prints, but the art used to create these prints is formally referred to as ukiyo-e. It is a trade passed on from master to apprentice, popular in Japan primarily in the Edo and Meiji periods (from the mid 1600s to 1912). Ukiyo-e art is made specifically to look two-dimensional. It is meant to be viewed at a close range, as opposed to Western art of the time that is meant to be viewed at eye level at a significant distance. Hiroshige broke this trend by composing prints that offered a distinctly different perspective, where the closest point to the viewer was not necessarily at the bottom of the picture (as seen in Plum Orchard at Kameido a litte farther down this page). It was a way to mass-produce art for the lower classes, as well as for printing posters and pictures for books. It was especially popular for posters depicting scenes from Kabuki (the form of Japanese theater popular during this time period).

The process was somewhat time consuming however, as there are many steps to producing all of the woodblocks necessary. Each color on a print has a separate woodblock that must be hand-carved. The first print is ink outline of the print itself, which serves as a guideline for placement of all of the other colors. Colors are applied light to dark, one color at time. Guide marks are carved into the bottom of the woodblock so the printer will know where the edges of the paper should fall. When the paper is placed on the ink-covered block, pressure must be applied evenly to all areas of the paper to ensure that the color is consistent. It is a long, multi-step process that is usually carried out by the artisit, his assistant, and a wardcarver.

The video below gives a pretty good explanation of how the printing process works.

I was actually surprised that the museum did not open the exhibition with this information. There was a video guide about halfway through the exhibition explaining how the prints were made, but I believe that in order to fully appreciate the art it’s necessary to know the process that it requires. It is time-consuming, tedious work. If one of the colors is applied improperly and needs to be realigned, the whole print must be redone. Knowing the amount of painstaking effort that went into each print is a little bit mind-blowing.

A Quick Look At Hiroshige’s Life

Hiroshige was born in the Yaesu area of Edo (now known as Tokyo). He was born Ando Tokutaro into a shogun family, though their rank was minor: he and his father were firemen. He was only awarded the artist name of Ichiryusai Hiroshige after he had apprenticed in ukiyo-e at the Utagawa school, under Utagawa Toyohiro. Upon completing his training, he gained the name "Utagawa" from the specific type of ukiyo-e he learned. He handed his shogun duties over to his brother in 1823 in order to work full time as an ukiyo-e artist.

While his early works were mostly of women or for actors, he was best known for the work in the middle of his career: his landscapes. His first success was with his series of prints entitled Famous Views of the Eastern Capital (1831), which comprised of many prints depicted areas of Edo. His next series, The Fifty-Three Stations of Tokaido Road, sealed his success and went on to have numerous reprint editions. These detailed landscapes became immensely popular, as well as his later prints in the Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido. The Kyoka edition is particularly nice, and the original Hoheido edition is accompanied by detailed descriptions as to where all of the scenes are located. I have to say though, my personal favorite is the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, specifically 8. Surgugacho, and the famous 30. The Plum Orchard at Kameido.

55. Rough Sea at Naruto in Awa Province from Famous Views of the 60-Odd Provinces

Influence on Western Art

During the mid to late 19th century, trade began opening up in Japan. During this period, the art of ukiyo-e became popular, strangely enough, among French Impressionist artisits. This period characterized by the explosion of interest in Japanese art and culture was referred to as Japonisme. Many famous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin were part of this trend. But it was Van Gogh who became somewhat infamous for his outright copies of two of Hiroshige's prints.

Left: Hiroshige's Plum Orchard at Kameido. Right: Van Gogh's Plum Tree In Bloom

As you can see, Van Gogh's painting is virtually the same as Hiroshige's, despite the differences in color and Van Gogh's addition of completely made-up kanji around the border. When Van Gogh moved to Paris, he was conveniently located right next to a gallery that was well-stocked in ukiyo-e prints for sale. Van Gogh is actually quoted as writing the following in a letter to his brother:

"I envy the Japanese artists for the incredible neat clarity which all their works have. It is never boring and you never get the impression that they work in a hurry. It is as simple as breathing; they draw a figure with a couple of strokes with such an unfailing easiness as if it were as easy as buttoning one's waist-coat."

While Van Gogh was the only artist to directly copy any of Hiroshige's work, other Western artists were clearly inspired. Some, like James Abbott McNeill Whister (known primarily for his painting Whistler's Mother) managed to pay homage to the artist within his paintings.

Whistler's Caprice in Purple and Gold: The Golden Screen



As you can probaby tell from the painting, there is a clear Japanese influence in the decoration of the room as well as the attire of the woman. But there are also the prints scattered on the floor--which just happen to be some of Hiroshige's landscapes.

The only two large displays of his work that can be see are at the Hiroshige Museum in Japan, and the one currently in Rome. The exhibition I got to see was a touring exhibition based out of the Honolulu Academy of the Arts. The exhibition will be in Rome unil June 7th, then will move on to London from July 8th to September 27th. After that, I assume it will move back to its home in Honolulu.

Unfortunately, ukiyo-e is best seen in person, and there is no news regarding any ukiyo-e exhibitions in the US. However, The Minneapolis Institue of Arts will be having a display of the works of Japanese artist Kawase Hasui. Hasui is from a later period of artists who attempted to revive traditional woodblock printing with a new movement called "shin hanga" (or "new print). While the style is a bit different, the art is still breathtaking. It strangely reminds me of the artwork in Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, though that's most likely due to the tradition Japanese landscapes and clarity of the prints (check the gallery for a picture of his print "Okayama Kanetsuki-Do").

Long before anime ever reached Western shores, Japanese art and culture rocked the world. And while times have changed considerably since then, there is clearly still something about Japanese culture that draws us in. Whether it's art from hundreds of years ago or anime from just last week, Japan never ceases to amaze me with artistic contributions to the world.

Further Reading/Sources:

Visions of People: The Influences of Japanese Prints by Patricia Flynn. A long but wel-written article about the history of ukiyo-e and its influence on French artists.

Van Gogh and Japonisme

The Woodblock Prints of Ando Hiroshige This site has an incomplete collection of Hiroshige's prints, however they are organized by series and many have explanations as to what location the prints were made of, which is pretty useful.

The Brooklyn Museum Has the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo along with some biographical information and some general ukiyo-e info.

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