Ukiyo-e is a style of Japanese painting that originated at the end of the 16th century.

History of development

The name of the direction is translated from Japanese as “floating world”. Initially, the word “ukiyo” was used in Buddhism and represented the frailty of existence and everyday sadness, and with the advent of the Edo period in Japan, the meaning of this word acquired a completely different meaning. This era brought many social changes to the country: for example, specially designated places appeared in cities in which Kabuki theaters were located, and brothels appeared. Then the word "ukiyo" began to mean fleeting pleasure.

One of the founders of ukiyo-e is the famous Japanese artist Hishikawa Moronobu. The ukiyo-e style is woodblock prints.

Initially, the engravings were monochrome, since only black ink was used to create them. After a couple of centuries, artists of this trend began to add expressiveness to engravings by painting them with colored paints. At the same time, Suzuki Harunobu developed a reusable printing method to create nishiki-e, which translates to “brocade paintings.” The mass production of prints made them available for purchase to many Japanese residents who, until then, could not afford the luxury of buying paintings.

Making prints

Several people took part in the creation of the work: an artist, an engraver, a woodcarver and a printer, each of whom was assigned a large role. Often the work was made to order and the quantity could be very large.

Sequence of engraving creation:

1. The artist draws the outline of the future drawing on thin paper.
2. The engraver glues this sketch onto a wooden board and cuts out the first form for printing on it.
3. The engraver makes a number of impressions on the form to indicate future shades.
4. A wood carver cuts out printed forms that are designed to certain colors.
5. The printer, following instructions from the artist, applies paint of the desired color to the forms and manually prints them on rice paper.

Creating an engraving is a very long and labor-intensive process that requires a lot of effort and skill. The final appearance of the painting depended not only on good sketches, but also on the experience of engravers and carvers. Producing color images sometimes required cutting out more than a dozen different shapes.

Ukiyo-e updated: September 15, 2017 by: Valentina

Fioletova Tatyana, 10th grade student of secondary school No. 32, Rybinsk

The relevance of the research topic is related to the study of the characteristics Japanese prints. Perhaps this is one of the few works of art, having seen which in the best museums in the world, it is impossible to make a mistake about the origin of which. You can admire Japanese prints for hours, marveling at their elegance and perfection of lines, simplicity of composition and intricacy of detail.

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Municipal educational institution

average comprehensive school No. 32 named after. Academician A.A. Ukhtomsky

ABSTRACT

on the topic

“Features of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints

and its influence on European painting»

Completed

10th grade student

Violetova Tatiana

Scientific director

Shcherbak Ellina Yurievna

Rybinsk

2012

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

1. The obscure term Ukiyo-e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

1.1. The origin story of Ukiyo-e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

1.2. The process of creating Ukiyo-e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2. Genres of Ukiyo-e engraving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

3. The influence of Ukiyo-e on European painting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

3.1. The influence of Ukiyo-e on the work of American artists and Western Europe. . . . . . . . . .10

3.2. The influence of Ukiyo-e on the work of Russian artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Introduction

Relevance The research topic is related to the study of the features of Japanese engravings. Perhaps this is one of the few works of art that, having seenin the best museums in the world, it is impossible to make a mistake about the origin of which. You can admire Japanese prints for hours, marveling at their elegance and perfection of lines, simplicity of composition and intricacy of detail.

The history of Japan goes back more than 8,000 years. Due to its remoteness from the rest of the world, it formed its own civilization, different from others. Traditional Japanese painting, like the entire culture of Japan, is unique.

Emerging in the 17th century among the growing third estate, less constrained by canons than painting, engraving was the most widespread and accessible form of art for city residents. Themes for Ukiyo-e engravings were often plots from Ukiyo-zoshi genre stories, Kabuki theater plays, classical and modern poetry.

The engravings were created by great artists who brought this art to almost perfection. Masters such as Utagawa Toyoharu, Katsushika Hokusai and many others were able to capture the most beautiful moments of this fleeting world in their creations.

Acquaintance with Japanese art turned out to be fruitful for European and Russian artists, not only on the path to creating a new plastic language, but also served to enrich the visual experience of the masters, revealing to them the existence of a different type of creative imagination, the possibility of fundamentally new points of view on the familiar and everyday.

Purpose of the study:description of the features of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints.

Research objectives:

1. Explore the origin of the term Ukiyo-e.
2. Identify the genres of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints.
3. Determine the influence of Ukiyo-e on European painting

Practical significance.The results of the study can be used in lessons on art and world artistic culture.

1. The obscure term Ukiyo-e

1.1. Origin of Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e is one of the most popular styles of Japanese fine art during the Edo period. It appeared in the first half of the 17th century, in the second half of the 19th century. fell into disrepair. The heyday of Ukiyo-e is considered to be the 18th century. Ukiyo-e is usually understood as popular and widespread during the Edo period. genre works- painting and, in particular, engraving. The term Ukiyo, borrowed from Buddhist philosophy, literally means “the world of sorrow” - this is the name of the world of samsara, the world of transitory illusions, where the lot of man is sorrow, suffering, illness and death. This world, from the point of view of the traditionally minded Japanese, is as illusory and transitory as a dream, and its inhabitants are no more real than creatures from the world of dreams. In the 17th century, ideas about the variability and illusory nature of this world, being somewhat rethought, gave rise to a special kind of aesthetics: the impermanence of being was perceived not only and not so much as a source of suffering, but rather as a call for the pleasures that this impermanence bestows. The world of transitory pleasures also began to be called ukiyo, only it was written with a different hieroglyph with the same sound, literally meaning “floating”, “floating by”. Ukiyo-e means “pictures of the floating world.” There is another shade of meaning: artists who worked in the ukiyo-e style. were familiar with the principles of Western art and often used knowledge of the laws of perspective in their works, which was atypical for traditional Japanese Yamato-e painting (“ japanese painting") or kara-e ("Chinese painting"). Therefore, for Japanese viewers, accustomed to flat images, the world in Ukiyo-e’s pictures was perceived as three-dimensional, “floating up” on the surface of the sheet or, conversely, “sinking” in its depths.

The Ukiyo-e style arose in the wake of late urbanization16th century, which led to the emergence of a class of traders and small artisans who began to write stories or tales and decorate them with drawings. Such collections were called ekhon (“book of pictures”). One example of such art is the 1608 publication “Ise-monogatari"(The Tale of Ise)Honami Koetsu. Such books made extensive use of Ukiyo-e as illustrations. Later, engravings began to be printed as independent works– kakemono (scroll with a picture or saying) and theater posterskabuki.

In the middle XVIII centurya technology was developed for producing multicolor prints, which were callednishiki-e(“brocade pictures”, also known as edo-e). AfterMeiji revolutionin 1868 and the opening of borders, the achievements of Western civilization were brought to Japan.

Ukiyo-e is gradually going out of fashion, being replacedphotography. At the same time, prints in the Ukiyo-e style became very popular in WesternEurope And America, art critics are beginning to buy them en masse. It should also be noted that in Tokugawa Japan, Ukiyo-e was long considered a “low” genre; That's why great amount works were lost.

1.2. The process of creating Ukiyo-e prints

The process of creating Ukiyo-e engraving involved an artist, a carver and a printer. The publisher played an important role, studying demand and determining circulation. Often it was he who set the theme of the engraving and influenced the nature of the publication.

The process of creating the engraving looked like this. The artist did contour drawing prototype of an ink engraving on thin, transparent paper. The carver pasted the design face down onto a board of cherry, pear, or boxwood, and cut out from it the areas on which the paper was white, thus obtaining the first printing plate, but destroying the design itself. Then several black and white prints were made, on which the artist designated the intended colors. The carver produced the required number (sometimes more than thirty) of printing plates, each of which corresponded to one color or tone. The printer, having discussed the color scheme with the artist, applied paint of vegetable or mineral origin and manually printed the engraving on wet rice paper.

Collective method of work of the artist, carver and printer, narrow specialization of craftsmen, shop organization The process determined the originality of Japanese woodcuts.

2. Genres of Ukiyo-e prints

Bijin-ga – a general name for works of painting and graphics depicting female beauty in traditional artJapan, for example – in printing from wooden boards of artistic directionukiyo-e, which was a kind of predecessor of photography. The designation "bijinga" can thus also be used for modern media depicting the classical image of a beautiful Japanese woman, usually dressed inkimono.

Almost all ukiyo-e masters created paintings in the bijinga genre, which was one of the central themes of this direction of Japanese art. Among the artists who created bijinga, mention should be made of such masters of form and innovators in Japanese painting asHishikawa Moronobu, Kitagawa Utamaro, Suzuki Harunobu, Toyohara Chikanobu, Torii Kiyonaga , Nishikawa Sukenobu, Ito Shinsui.

Yakusya-e – (Japanese - depiction of actors), a genre of Japanese prints from the ukiyo-e direction, reflecting the life of Kabuki theater actors. Originated in con. XII century as design of a poster, playbill, theater program. Early works yakusha-e (late 12th – mid 13th centuries), made using woodcut technique with brightly tinted prints, created heroic image actor-performer of dramatic roles. They attracted attention with the breathtaking speed of the action and the luxury of theatrical costumes (engravings by Torii Kiyonobu with the figure of an actor facing the audience, as if flying in a dance, juggling weapons). In the 2nd half of the 13th century, lyrical scenes and portraits of actors in the process of work, in the artistic dressing room, appeared in Yakusha-e engravings. The highest stage in the development of the yakusha-e genre is the work of Choshusay Syaraku (late 13th – early 19th centuries). He created a gallery of portraits in which the actor appears in the image of a suffering, hating, hungry person burned by passions. IN works of the XIX V. the craving for decorativeness increases, interest in inner world characters.

Japanese theatrical engraving, in the process of its development, became a valuable and independent art, the heyday of which occurred in the 17th – 19th centuries.

Katyo-e ( JapaneseKatyo-e, or kate-ga "paintings of flowers and birds") - a subgenre of Japanese printsUkiyo-e, originating from the traditional genre Chinese painting dedicated to the same subject. There were masters who specialized exclusively in this genre, although major ukiyo-e masters, for example,Hiroshige, it was also sometimes used.

Ohara Koson is one of the most famous kate-e artists of the twentieth century..

Fukei-ga – landscape engraving, which became widespread in the first half of the 19th century.The flourishing of the landscape genre in Japanese classical woodcuts is associated with the names of two great artists - Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) and Ando (Utagawa) Hiroshige (1797-1858).

There are many in Japan wonderful places and magnificent landscapes. But Mount Fuji, the symbol of the country, has gained worldwide fame Rising Sun. The Japanese admire Fuji and consider it a national shrine.

Fuji is magnificent at all times of the year; it changes its colors depending on the weather. Whenever you see this active volcano, it will evoke special feelings in you, not only with its beauty, but also with its grandeur.

Japanese legend says that the gods created “Mount Fuji” in one night. The land was taken near Kyoto, on the site where Japan's largest natural lake, Biwa, later arose. These events took place in 286 BC.

The Japanese see unique beauty in everything. Mount Fuji, covered with snow, evokes sacred awe and admiration among the residents of Japan. The volcano has a classic conical shape and amazes with its perfection. On the background blue sky The slightly truncated and symmetrical slopes of Fuji appear. All this brings peace to the soul, speaks of the orderliness of the universe and harmony in nature.

The height of Fuji is 3776 meters. The mountain rises above the surrounding area and attracts the attention of all of Japan. Is Fuji and one of the shrines ancient religion Japan - Shintoism. The Japanese traditionally adhere to the faith of their ancestors and therefore pilgrimages to the mountain are very popular among them. The Japanese believe that everyone should climb a mountain at least once in their life.

Musya-e - historical-heroic genre; depiction of samurai, famous in the history of Japan, battle scenes. Traditional ukiyo-e genre.

3. The influence of Ukiyo-e on European painting

It is noteworthy that foreigners helped the Japanese themselves to look at Ukiyo-e as full-fledged works of art.After the opening of Japan in 1855 to the outside world, Japanese goods and works of art were imported into Europe in large quantities and quickly found connoisseurs there. During the World's Fair in London and the World's Fair in Paris, Japanese color prints and various handicrafts were demonstrated: porcelain, kimonos, screens, lacquerware.

At the end of the 19th century. Many Art Nouveau designers looked to the East, especially Japan, for inspiration. After 200 years of isolation, Japan opened its doors to the West, and Japanese crafts - from ceramics and metalwork to architecture, painting and drawing - had a huge impact on Western collectors. At the World's Fair in Paris in 1867, Japanese art and culture were presented to Western audiences in all their diversity. The French critic Philippe Burty described a new style that arose under the influence of Japanese art, which he called Japonism.

Japonism (from the French Japonisme) is a direction in European art of the 19th century centuries, formed under the influence of Japanese color woodcuts Ukiyo-e and artistic crafts. The motifs, techniques and presentation of color in Japanese art were reflected in the work of impressionist artists. Japonism also had a significant influence on Art Nouveau and Cubism.

The main features of Japaneseism are natural themes(animals, insects, plants), two-dimensional complex patterns on surfaces, simple colors.

Western public interest in Japanese decorative and applied arts, especially Japanese prints, were fueled by art shops, museum exhibitions, international fairs and, of course, numerous discussions in the press. With a growing emphasis on woodblock prints, porcelain, and other art from Japan, European craftsmen's wares began to feature an increasing number of natural motifs, including animals, insects, and plants. The two-dimensional, complex patterns found in woodblock prints by Japanese artists such as Hiroshige impressed many Western designers of the time. Their influence can also be seen in the sinuous lines and natural motifs of Art Nouveau.

3.1. The influence of Ukiyo-e on the work of American artists and

Western Europe

Americans James Whistler and Mary Cassatt were attracted by the restraint of line and bright color spots of Ukiyo-e prints and paintings.

J. Whistler was the first among European artists to experience a passion for the art of Japan. What attracted him to colorful Japanese woodblock prints was the unexpectedness and poignancy compositional solution, expressiveness of angles, joyful colors. He strives to convey his passion for the exotic East in his works “Princess of the Land of Porcelain”, “Caprice in Purple and Gold. Golden Screen", "Village".

Mary Cassatt's experimentation with a variety of methods often led to unexpected results. For example, taking inspiration from the Japanese master printmaker, in 1891 Mary Cassatt produced a series of ten Japanese-style color etchings that were exhibited at the Durand-Ruel Gallery, including Woman Washing and The Visit.

The graphic style of children's book illustrator Walter Crane was a reflection of his interest in the art of Japanese prints with its linearity and local color scheme. The grace of clear black contours and delicate color combinations, according to the artist, absolutely corresponded to the peculiarities of children's perception. W. Crane tried to understand what exactly attracts children in illustrations and in art in general. He believed that children preferred to see precise lines, clearly defined shapes and figures, and bright, saturated colors. The artist was of the opinion that children do not pay much attention to light and shade and the three-dimensional display of objects. With his illustrations, he sought to amaze and encourage children's imagination in every possible way, using bright colors and clear designs.

It is known that many Post-Impressionists drew inspiration from Japanese prints. Starting from copying in the early period of creativity, and ending with constant echoes and reminiscences in the most famous works. An example of this is the painting “Portrait of Father Tanguy” by Van Gogh and the engravings of Hiroshige.

Ando Hiroshige - an outstanding Japanese graphic artist, largest representative direction of Ukiyo-e, a master of color woodcuts, who developed a new type of chamber landscape for Japanese art, imbued with a subtle lyrical feeling of landscape. Many of his techniques were later adopted by European impressionists and post-impressionists, and also anticipated avant-garde photography of the 20th century. To convey space, Hiroshige often depicted a sharply protruding detail in the foreground, while softly interpreting distant plans; I also used linear perspective. Hiroshige's landscapes, marked by an exquisite lyricism of imagery, usually include images of people immersed in their daily activities.

The compositional and coloristic techniques used by Hiroshige in this series had a huge influence on such artists as E. Degas, Van Gogh, James Tissot.

In the work of Vincent van Gogh, the influence of Japanese graphics is enormous. In his three paintings, Van Gogh copies Japanese color engravings or reproduces them in oil painting. These works demonstrate the artist's desire to penetrate the secrets of Japanese art. Based on Japanese pen engravings, Van Gogh, having studied the 15-volume manga (collection of sketches) by Hokusai, developed his rhythmic “dot-dash” painting structure, which he then transferred to oil painting.

However, even before Van Gogh, the impressionists were looking for the necessary means of representation in Japanese color engraving. They adopted various forms of composition, for example, a free-standing image, as if “cropped” by a picture frame of an object; a figure standing in the foreground of the canvas; asymmetrical construction of the picture; extremely deep diagonals into the distance; “barring” the picture with the help of trees. Hokusai's series of color graphics were the model for the serial works of Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet.

The most characteristic technique, adopted from Japanese prints and directly from Hiroshige’s “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” series, consists of unexpected cuts of objects and figures in the foreground. This gives fragmentation to the whole picture. It was used by French artists of all movements. It is known that Vincent van Gogh copied the prints “Plum Garden at Kameido” and “Rain at the Ohashi Bridge” from the “One Hundred Views of Edo” series, studying the compositional techniques and structure of Japanese prints. Emphasizing the origins of the borrowing, Van Gogh frames his compositions with Japanese hieroglyphs, which he copied from sheets of other Hiroshige series. He creates works in which he uses techniques characteristic of Japanese engraving: a high point of view, a clear division into two planes, apparent randomness of compositional structure, fragmentation. In the use by European artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries of motifs of irises, plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, waterfalls, in linearity, as well as in a number of other depiction techniques, one can find direct analogies with Japanese engravings and the works of Hiroshige. Hiroshige's graphic language is unique - it is dynamic and lyrical at the same time. The composition, line, color, rhythm of the engravings are in harmony. Knowledge and mastery of various techniques presupposed the need for the same mastery and skill on the part of the printer and carver. In this regard, it should be noted that Japanese color engraving was created using a special method, which was fundamentally different from European technology.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec brilliantly rethought the style of woodcut and created his own style, free from Western ideas about perspective and composition.

Graphic artists, including Toulouse-Lautrec, were particularly fond of Ukiyo-e, and Christopher Dresser studied it during his trip to Japan, where he went to purchase goods for the London Liberty store. This store opened in 1875, selling fabrics, jewelry and art imported from the East, particularly Japan. The store also ordered items from Western designers household items in Japanese style. Since the 1860s Dresser had a deep interest in Japanese art and made considerable efforts to popularize it, both in Great Britain and the United States. The West's fascination with Japanese art and design resulted in the development of Japanese style, which became an important movement in Western art. It, in turn, also influenced Japanese artists and viewers.

3.2. The influence of Japanese prints on the work of Russian artists

The influence of Japanese cultural tradition on Russian culture at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries. – a vivid example of a dialogue of cultures, when a “different” culture is creatively processed, refracted through the prism of its own cultural tradition and leads to the enrichment of the latter, giving impetus to its further fruitful development.

“Japanisms” in Russian art of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. can be represented in the works of Y. Dobuzhinsky by engravings “Bypass Canal in St. Petersburg”, I. Bilibin, V. Borisov-Musatov and P. Kuznetsov. Signs of “Japaneseism” in the European version can also be found in the works of K. Somov, E. Lanceray, L. Bakst, M. Vrubel. The passion for Japanese painting served as an impetus for the study of Japanese theatrical tradition for the innovator of Russian theater V.E. Meyerhold. To capture the attention of the audience and to express the grotesque, he used the principles of Japanese Noh theater.

The nature of Japanese influence in this area can be represented in the form of stylization, when artists turned to the creative techniques of the Japanese in depicting reality. In this case, borrowings come down to techniques for depicting the sky, waves, coloring of the contours of the picture, and the decorative qualities of Japanese engravings. Among the motifs of Japanese origin, the theme of water played a more significant role than all others. The image of water and waves was associated with the idea of ​​growth, development, transition from one state to another, that is, with the idea of ​​continuity. Numerous wave variations in the prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige captivated the imagination of artists. The wave not only appeared in a “natural” form in I. Bilibin, but also became the most important part of ornamental constructions, which was expressed in the rhythmic organization of space of the Ryabushinsky mansion in Moscow, architect Shekhtel.

The influence of Japanese prints on Russian graphics of this period is especially strong. This can be seen in the illustrations of the artist Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin.

AND I. Bilibin developed a system of graphic techniques that made it possible to combine illustrations and design in one style, subordinating them to the plane of the book page. Characteristic features of the Bilibin style: the beauty of patterned designs, exquisite decorative color combinations, subtle visual embodiment of the world. The artist strove for an ensemble solution. He emphasized the flatness of the book page with a contour line, lack of lighting, coloristic unity, conventional division of space into plans and the combination of different points of view in the composition.

One of I. Bilibin’s significant works was illustrations for “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by A. S. Pushkin. Various sources of stylization are noticeable between the sheets of the series. The illustration depicting Saltan looking into the little room is reminiscent of the winter landscapes of I.Ya. Bilibin from life. Scenes of receiving guests and feasts are rich in motifs of Russian ornament. A leaf with a barrel floating on the sea is reminiscent of Hokusai's famous "Wave".

In illustrations, the composition, as a rule, unfolds parallel to the plane of the sheet. Large figures appear in majestic, frozen poses. The conditional division of space into plans and the combination of different points of view in one composition make it possible to maintain flatness. Lighting completely disappears, color becomes more conventional, the unpainted surface of the paper plays an important role, the way of marking a contour line becomes more complicated, and a strict system of strokes and dots is formed.

The process of making a graphic drawing by an artist was reminiscent of the work of an engraver. Having sketched a sketch on paper, he clarified the composition in all details on tracing paper, and then translated it onto whatman paper. After this, using a core brush with a cut off end, likening it to a chisel, I ran it along pencil drawing clear wire outline in ink. In his mature period of creativity, I. Bilibin abandoned the use of the pen, which he sometimes resorted to in his early illustrations. For his impeccable firmness of line, his comrades jokingly nicknamed him “Ivan the Steady Hand.”

The work of Viktor Borisov-Musatov was successful experience independent and fruitful interpretation of new pictorial quests of European and Russian art. The artist is comparable to the Japanese masters in the organic correspondence of all the elements of the composition of his paintings to each other, the figures and the natural background, the outfits of the heroines. The silent, immersed in dreams, and almost motionless figures of women in the painting “The Emerald Necklace” are reminiscent of the Impressionists and at the same time the images of the Japanese artist Utamaro. The faces of V. Musatov’s women in “The Emerald Necklace” are similar to each other, as are the faces of the beauties of Utamaro. The content of his works is determined not by the depth of individual human images, but by their relationships in figurative system paintings.

The picturesque discoveries of V. Borisov-Musatov acquired particular significance for Pavel Kuznetsov. The work of Pavel Varfolomeevich Kuznetsov “Still Life with Japanese Engraving” is a discovery of Japanese art. In a still life, Kuznetsov reveals the essence not only personal experience perception of Japanese art, but also the history of its discovery by a whole generation of Russian artists. For Kuznetsov, “Still Life” and Utamaro’s engraving are both the subject of the image and the subject of pictorial interpretation. Kuznetsov made no attempt in “Still Life with Japanese Engraving” to reproduce the techniques and working methods of Japanese masters, which many of his contemporaries resorted to. Without copying Utamaro's engravings, but trying to penetrate his art from the inside, Kuznetsov gives a pictorial interpretation to the graphic work. We can say that the work of two Russian artists V.E. Borisov-Musatov and P. Kuznetsov, was also devoted to the search for new ways of expressing the means of art. The work of Japanese masters influenced the artistic methods and techniques of these artists, in depicting man in inextricable connection with nature.

A striking example of the unique “Japanism” of Georgy Bogdanovich Yakulov is the general design and poster of the cafe “Pittoresk” (1917). main hall The cafe, both in its general composition and design details, resembles an old Japanese theater. This can be easily seen by looking at a Japanese engraving from the late 15th century that depicts the interior of the theater.

The poster shows a full-length female figure of a European appearance and in European clothes, surrounded on the right and left by an inscription with the name, address and opening date of the cafe. Let's compare the poster with an engraving by a Japanese artist of the 15th century. Suzuki Harunobu "Geisha". It is difficult to say whether he knew about the existence of this engraving, which his poster is so reminiscent of - both in the setting of the figure and in the inscriptions, as if hanging in the air. But this does not indicate copying or stylization. We are talking about the similarity of artistic thinking. Yakulov himself said that the Eastern - symbolic system is closer to him than the European - realistic one.Russian artists were faced with the task of preserving all the wealth of Russian culture acquired over the centuries, and at the same time regaining the spontaneity of perception and, on this basis, achieving new aesthetic perfection.

Conclusion

Based on the research materials, we can note:

1. The term Ukiyo, borrowed from Buddhist philosophy, literally means "world of sorrow." The world of transitory pleasures also came to be called ukiyo, literally meaning “floating”, “floating by”. Ukiyo-e means “pictures of the floating world.”
2. A special feature of the engraving is the difference in genres: image female beauty, a reflection of the life of Kabuki theater actors, paintings about flowers and birds,landscapes, historical and heroic events. Another feature aretwo-dimensional complex patterns on surfaces, a simple color scheme, the idea of ​​harmony between heaven, earth and man, in understanding the worldview and the sad charm of a passing life.
3. The nature of Japanese influence can be represented in the form of two main techniques for using the Japanese artistic tradition:

1) the technique of stylization, when artists turned to the creative techniques of the Japanese in depicting reality. In these cases, borrowings come down to techniques for depicting the sky, waves, coloring of the contours of the picture, and the decorative qualities of Japanese engravings. The technique of stylization was clearly manifested in the works of Russian artists I. Bilibin, A. Ostroumova-Lebedeva, M. Kassatt, Y. Dobuzhinsky, W. Crane.

2) the use of Japanese motifs within the framework of their own creativity, when the artist transforms Japanese culture in relation to his tasks, interpret the language of Japanese art, weaving it into the fabric of his own artistic method in the works of V. Borisov-Musatov, P. Kuznetsov, V. Van Gogh.

Absorbing the Western stylization of the East, artists based on it sought and created their own image of the East - an image based on a person’s ability to see the world directly. Acquaintance with Japanese art turned out to be fruitful for European and Russian artists, not only on the path to creating a new plastic language, but also served to enrich the visual experience of the masters, revealing to them the existence of a different type of creative imagination, the possibility of fundamentally new points of view on the familiar and everyday.

A comparison of Western and Russian masters with Japanese graphics gives us every reason to talk about free dialogue different cultures, about contact with the spiritual culture of Japan in the 20th century, which significantly enriched the cultural fund, influencing the range of its interests.

Literature

1. Ukiyoe-Gallery [ Electronic resource] // Fine Japanese Woodblock Prints. -http://www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/index.htm

Japan watches adventurous adventures contemporary art already for a century. However, before the country began to open up to foreigners, all creative spirit seems to have left the art of painting, which turned into handicraft. Only a few masterpieces of painting preserved something alive and human.

Even then, there was an obvious decline in narrative edifying “genre” painting, known as ukiyo-e- “image of the mortal world”; this is the current popular art found its expression both in painting and in graphics. This genre sought to preserve the traditions of purely Japanese painting ( Yamato-e) and soon began to supplant the aristocratic painting of the Tosa school, which was supported by the court, as well as painting “in chinese style"Kano school, which enjoyed the patronage of samurai. Ukiyo-e painting was done on thin porous paper or on silk, usually coarser than the silk of the classical era, which made it possible to create a certain relief of the surface with the help of paints. The latter constituted the essence of the pictorial search, both in relation to the effects of perspective and volume. The line demonstrated the flexibility of the brush and gave the silhouettes a natural and lively character. Ukiyo-e seems to have its origins in the Kano school in Kyoto: it was she who brought painting into fashion at the end of the 16th century screen, where the scenes took place Everyday life and holidays in Kyoto. Works of Iwas Matabei (1578–1650), inspired by genre painting, create the second component of this school. The beginning of ukiyo-e painting is marked by the activities of four artists of the Kano school. Two of them never turned to prints: Miyagawa Chosun (1683–1753) and Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671–1751), who worked primarily as an illustrator. His refined and improving style manifested itself initially in the genre of portraiture (of a beauty). Two other artists, Hishikawa Moronobu (1618–1694) and Okumura Masanobu (1686–1764), are, as we will see, known primarily as creators of designs for engravings.

In the eyes of 19th-century Japanese, printmaking was not a significant art form. It was in France that prints in the ukiyo-e genre gained incredible popularity after Felix Braquemont showed Edgar Degas a work by Hokusai in 1856. In 1868, Manet, influenced by Japanese painting, painted a portrait of Emile Zola; in 1876, Monet painted girls in kimonos on a decorative panel; Van Gogh, finally, was extremely passionate about this hitherto unknown art and used Japanese models.

Engraving (hanga), which allows the work to be replicated on the basis of the first sheet, is a “media”, and its development, starting from the middle of the 17th century, exactly coincides in time with the development of cities where a new form of civilization arose. Of course, the method itself had Chinese origin and has been known for a long time: in Shosoin there is a tablet carved in the 7th century, which was intended for applying a design to fabric. In 764, Empress Koken (749–759) ordered the carving of wooden and copper plaques to reproduce prayers and Buddhist images. She donated these carved boards to the Nara temples. This effective method continued to be used, but only for religious purposes. The nobles for whom the art was created could pay artists and scroll illustrators quite well; at the same time, they valued the quality of materials to the same extent as creativity and despised the cheapness of engravings. The situation changed when merchants and artisans, having become rich, formed a middle class, too poor to buy expensive works of art, but wealthy enough to have a craving for some luxury. It was they who formed a real art market for their own interests. It was then that the Edo artist Hishikawa Moronobu (1618–1694) came up with original idea- to reproduce, using engraving, drawings whose subjects are taken from life itself, which was inherent in the traditional manner of Japanese art ( Yamato-e). He sketched his drawings in the famous Yoshiwara quarter of pleasure: images of expensive geishas, ​​entertainment companies far from virtue, actors of the nascent kabuki theater - cut with wire on soft wood boards. The townspeople liked these pictures, these genre scenes began to be called ukiyo-e ryu, Buddhist concept of the “perishable world” ( ukiyo-e) was then often applied to meeting houses and entertainment; so, the image of the mortal world - ukiyo-e. There were more subjects, artists began to reproduce flowers, birds, and any decorative motifs that customers liked. If Moronobu, despite his influence, did not have direct students, then the situation was different with his follower Torii Kiyonobu (1664–1729), whose school, specializing in the depiction of actors and young beauties, still flourishes today.

The first engravings were presented to the public in the form of separate sheets and books, which in the Moronobu era were made by folding double sheets of paper. Japanese printmaking required the collaboration of three artists or artisans: the painter, the engraver, and the printer. The first prints were made in black and white ( sumi-e or sumi zuri-e) combination; red lead was sometimes used ( tan-e); but since 1720, thanks to some improvements, varied and rich shades have been used: purple red ( beni-e) replaced red lead, also used yellow, purple and green colors, they began to add glue to Chinese ink (this innovation was due to Okumara Masanobu (1686–1764), which made it possible to give greater depth and volume to the black color that delimits the image. The shiny surface resembled varnishes ( urushi-e).

The first engravings, the colors of which were set with a brush directly on the tablet, tried to carefully imitate a painting. Everything has changed since 1743, when the practice bene zuri-e, which used Chinese woodblock printing techniques, gave ukiyo-e independence of style and texture. From now on, obtained by rolling and successive impressions, made possible thanks to the technique of marking, the engraving achieved in twenty years such a luxury of color that it was compared to brocade ( nishiki-e): ten primary colors made it possible to achieve rich shades and halftones. The work of the famous Suzuki Harunobu (1725–1770) ), which perpetuated the fragile attractiveness of beauties ( bidzin) of its era, became the peak of the flowering of this cheerful art of printmaking, the subject - memories of pleasant hours spent in pleasant company. Katsukawa Shunsou (1726–1792 ) and Ippitsusai Buncho (1725–1794 ), imitated Harunobu's technique, working in the same direction (butai ogi), created in 1770 a genre that soon became very popular - portraits of actors ( nigao-e). New changes were made later by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806 ): he, having refused classical portrait in full height, attached exceptional importance to the image of the face. His discovery was immediately borrowed by Chosusai Sharaku (active 1794–1795) and used it to depict male theater actors. Although the art of portrait engravers reached its apogee at that time, it gradually began to disappear. As for ukiyo-e, the genre itself was destined to experience a new rise. The fashion for it spread again, largely due to novels. They were supposed to be illustrated, so there is an interest in finding new subjects. Any phenomena could become a subject for an engraving, so in Japan, undoubtedly, they could agree with the thought of Sebastian Mercier. At the same time he noted with annoyance in his “ Parisian paintings": "... these days there is a funny abuse of engraving" (quoted from: Adhemar J. Original engraving from the 18th century). However, among this production that quickly turned out to be banal, two bright spots appear: the landscapes of Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) and Ando Hiroshige (1797–1858). Hokusai’s merits include the fact that he was able to free the engraving from depicting the narrow streets of the city and its inhabitants, opening up much wider horizons. Inspiration came to him (curiously) in 1798 at the sight of a landscape engraved on copper by a Dutch artist. Hiroshige's "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" and later "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido" (1833) represent the pinnacle of Japanese printmaking. The boldness and nervousness of the lines, a measured frenzy of colors, always coordinated with the colorful contrasts of nature, sang thousands of views of the sea and fogs, the softness rural areas and the geometric regularity of the beauty of Mount Fuji. This style, soon brought to perfection, suffocated and lost its edge as quickly as it flourished. WITH mid-19th centuries, too large circulations from one board, a general decline in taste and quality, made engraving a simple “oleography”. It's paradoxical, but exactly these mediocre and mannered works that accidentally came to the West had a huge influence on impressionism and all modern art.

The history of copper engraving, which glorified Hokusai's talent, is more ancient. Copper engravings were used infrequently during the Nara era for the needs of the Buddhist faith, and then disappeared completely until the 16th century. Christian missionaries, who preached the gospel in Japan during this period, brought with them a relatively large number of boards depicting pious subjects, just as Buddhist preachers did in the 8th century. In 1590, a press was brought from Europe, allowing Kyushu missionaries to print from boards and teach the technique of engraving. Western-style engraving was swept away by the same storm that befell Christianity, and attention was drawn to it again only towards the end of the Edo period, during a period when interest in the "Dutch" sciences began to reappear. Shiba Kokan (1738–1818) learned the aquaforte technique from the Dutch, which he used successfully. A new trend arose precisely then, and since then fashion has demanded that the covers of books translated from other languages ​​be decorated with etchings; the style of these prints (just return) was largely inspired by the work of Hokusai.

Thus, printmaking, a popular genre that initially gravitated towards anecdotes, represented one of the last ascents (even if it turned out to be short) of Japanese art, before it began to be sharply opposed to Western works, messengers of a different mentality, using different methods and different materials.

Engraving constitutes only a minor form of expression and, cut off from its Far Eastern roots, becomes incomprehensible. Its quality is based primarily on the quality of the line; engraving does not allow awkwardness and mistakes. This feature turns out to be completely exclusive for all the art of countries that use hieroglyphs: the brush is skillfully dipped in ink and, in accordance with the effect the artist wants to achieve, moves rhythmically, softly and powerfully, but it can neither stop nor return. Unless creativity is entirely left to chance, the artist or calligrapher must have a very precise mental idea of ​​the goal he is aiming at, and possess sufficient practical dexterity to make his hand obey the orders of the spirit. Success was possible only thanks to constant training from childhood, long experience acquired over a long time, and the fact that a person disinterestedly, without dreaming of glory, reproduced countless examples - those presented in notebooks intended for learning from models created by artists or simply found in nature itself and the surrounding world.

The etymology of the word "ukiyo" goes back to the Buddhist term meaning
the frailty of a fast-moving world. The concept of "ukiyo" is generally closely related to
Buddhist worldview. In medieval literature and aesthetics this
the concept meant a vain, mortal, sorrowful world. In the 15th century it received
secular interpretation, it came to be understood as “everyday
reality". In the 17th century, “ukiyo” began to mean peace
entertainment and pleasures that the townspeople could get in the “fun
blocks." It is no coincidence that the main form of fine art
During the Edo period, color woodcuts appeared - mass art,
reproduced and best known.

The history of the development of engraving is dynamic, bright, it clearly shows all
stages of the formation of the worldview of a new era and their characteristics
features of perception of reality. While other genres
are experiencing their last heyday, a new genre of landscape appears for ukiyo-e
fukei-ga. Its place in ukiyo-e engraving is very noticeable. Complex and
the multifaceted process of space formation in ukiyo-e prints
was carried out primarily as a result of the interaction of Western cultures
and East.

N The drawings show the stages of work on the Ukiyo-e engraving.

Unlike European author's engravings, ukiyo-e engraving was
the result of collective creativity. Each of its sections had its own
subtleties and required great specialization. The artist painted black and white
base (sita-e) and denoted color individual parts, carver
transferred the picture to the board, and the printer selected colors and transferred
image on paper. For an engraving to become a work of art, it was
What is needed is a real creative collaboration between these masters. Artist
had to take into account the specifics of the cutter’s work, since the quality of the line, in
ultimately depended on the carver. Achieving virtuosity in work,
carvers developed their own style, which largely determined
engraving style. With a large flow of products, carvers cooperated:
the most experienced ones cut faces and hairstyles, their assistants cut less
responsible clothing and body lines, and the most simple work carried out
journeymen. The overall color scheme of the engraving largely depended on
printer, since usually the artist followed only the very first
prints. The publisher also played an important role in studying demand and
who determined the circulation. Often it was he who set the theme of the engraving and influenced
the nature of the publication, acting as a kind of patron of talented authors.
The authors of the engraving received orders from publishers, who selected
carvers and printers. The right to publish the engraving belonged to the publisher;
for commercial reasons, individual sheets were sometimes reprinted and
even entire series, often with some changes: could be omitted
title of the series, the sheet could have been published in a different format. Collective method
the work of an artist, carver and printer, narrow specialization of craftsmen,
The workshop organization of the process determined the originality of Japanese woodcuts.

Technically, Japanese engraving is letterpress printing.
The process of creating the engraving looked like this. The artist did
contour drawing in ink on thin, transparent paper. The engraver pasted
slightly moistened drawing with the front side on the board longitudinally
sawed. Cherry wood, sometimes pear, was usually used for this.
or Japanese boxwood. Trees were cut down in the fall and left to lie
winter, taken out in the spring and kept for two years. Surface of the boards
processed very carefully. She was supposed to be so smooth
so that two boards stick together without glue when they touch.

Then the engraver cut the board for the outline print - the “key
board”, with the label “kento” (by which all other clichés were fitted).
The original was destroyed, which is why so little has survived to this day.
author's drawings, which apparently represent preliminary
sketches. The lines had to be very thin, no more than a third of the thickness
drawing lines, since they inevitably expanded during printing. Often
carvers specialized in a specific area,
for example, in the depiction of people or animals.

When the “key” was ready
board,” the printer made test prints and sent them to the artist, who
roughly outlined the coloring or simply wrote in hieroglyphs
color names next to each detail of the image. For every color
a separate board was cut out; raised mark in its upper left corner
provided the ability to accurately match the color with the contour. Very
the choice of tree was important; the boards had to have different qualities in
depending on their purpose: the hardest wood was used for
"key board"; The softest types of wood were used to print the background.
When all the boards were ready, the work passed into the hands of the printer. He
composed paints using plant and mineral pigments
origin. Vegetable paints were prepared using rice glue,
mineral - based on animal fat. The printer's work was not mechanical -
following the general instructions of the artist, he himself selected the tones, adjusted
color intensity, so that from his artistic vision, ultimately
Ultimately, the accuracy of the implementation of the author's plan depended.

The photographs show the printer's work

The master tries on a template, which is fixed on spikes inserted into holes drilled in the printed board.

Surface preparation - in this place there will be a smooth transition from dark to light.

Applying paint.

And now according to the template..

And now - the most crucial moment...

A slightly damp sheet of paper placed on the board was smoothed by the master with a special
a device in the form of a round pad covered with a dense shell
bamboo shoot (barenom). The Japanese practically did not know the printing press
until the 19th century.

This is baren.

Baren in a firm hand)

The master removes the sheet - a gradient strip is created!
Now it remains to repeat this operation with other colors))

The paper for engraving had to be soft, hygroscopic, with a smooth
surface and with long strong fibers. She was cut into
established standard; The following print formats are accepted in Japan:
(approximate): oban - 38x25 cm; oban-yokon - 25x38 cm; shikishiban -
20x18 cm; Chu-ban - 30x20 cm.

Each sheet contains hieroglyphic inscriptions - explanations of the plots,
poems, names of characters and signatures of the creators of the engraving. Signatures are usually
consist of a name and a traditionally added hieroglyph indicating that
what kind of work the signatory did.

In addition to inscriptions, almost every engraving has several seals. They
provide valuable information about when a particular leaf appeared and who
took part in its creation. As a rule, engravings contain
the following seals: the artist's seal placed directly under his
signature or next to it; publisher's seal found sheets,
differing only in publishing seals. This phenomenon may be
explained by the existing practice of reselling boards by one publishing house
to another. In this case, the new owners of the board sometimes cut off the seal
old publishing house and added their stamp with the date of publication of the engraving and
censor's seal. Control over engraving was one of the manifestations
comprehensive regulation carried out by the Tokugawa government.
Since 1790, in order to combat luxury and the decline of morality
the government periodically introduced restrictions regarding the subject matter and
engraving techniques. In addition to the personal seals of the censors, there were marks
“aratame” (“tested”) or “kiwame” (“excellent”), placed after
these seals. Deciphering seals not only helps to establish
authenticity of the engraving, but also gives the viewer the opportunity to feel the living
atmosphere of creating a leaf.

Ukiyo-e prints were published in a wide variety of forms: both as books
illustrations, art albums and individual sheets, which are often
were combined into diptychs, triptychs and series, as well as in the form of scrolls
genre sketches from theatrical life(kabuki joshi emaki). Their
interfered with tokonoma or hung as decoration on supporting pillars, appeared
even a special format of narrow and long engravings, which was called hasira-e
(hang on a pole, approximately 65x12 cm).

Based on materials: World art. Katsushika Hokusai. Series
engravings “36 views of Fuji” and “100 views of Fuji”. -SPb: SZKEO LLC
“Crystal”, 2006. - 192 pp., ill. Compiled by A. A. Ivanova.

As well as materials from the sites http://art.liim.ru and http://woodblock.com

Paintings in the Ukiyo-e style (Japanese painting)

History of ukiyo-e

Early stage

It dates from the Great Fire of the Meireke years to the Horeki era. Ukiyo-e in its early stages consisted mainly of original drawings and single-color woodcuts (sumizuri-e).

After the mid-17th century, a person who made original drawings for woodcuts was called a "hanshita-eshi" (professional draftsman), then Moronobu Ishikawa appeared, who drew illustrations for picture books and ukiyo-zoshi (popular stories of everyday life during the Edo period). The famous "Mikaeri Bijin zu" ("Painting of a Beauty Looking Back"), his most significant work, is an original drawing.

The book "Koshoku ichidai otoko" (Life of a Loving Man) by Saikaku (published in 1682) describes that ukiyo-e was drawn on a folding fan with 12 edges, and this is the oldest literature in which the word "ukiyo-e" can be found "

When the era of Torii Kiyonobu began, the type of sumizuri-e, painted with a brush and ink, appeared. For such engravings, red pigments were mainly used, those with a yellowish-brown tint (red earth) were called "tan-e", and those with a beni (blush) tint were called "beni-e". Additionally, sumizuri-e with several colors added to beni-e were called benizuri-e. Since that time, the Ukiyo-e Torii school has been closely associated with kabuki (traditional theater in which roles were performed by male actors) and has been used in billboards kabuki even today.

Middle stage

It dates from 1765, when nishiki-e (seal) was born, to approximately 1806.

In 1765, egoyomi (picture calendars) became fashionable, especially among haiku poets, and egoyomi exchange evenings began to be organized. To meet the demand, Harunobu Suzuki and others developed "azuma-nishiki" printed in multiple colors, and the ukiyo-e culture came into full bloom. Regarding factors allowing multi-color printing, it was stated that "kento" (registration marks) were introduced to mark points for overprinting, and thick, high-quality Japanese paper became available that could withstand multi-color printing. Used paper made from kozo (Broussonetia papera) such as Echizen-Hosogami (heavy Japanese paper excellent quality from Echizen Province), iyo-masagami, nisami-uchigami, etc. In addition, economic development played an important role, as a division of labor for complex processes was introduced between shitaeshi (ukiyo-e artists), horishi (engravers) and surishi (printers).

After the death of Harunobu Suzuki, images in bijinga began to change from androgynous, doll-like to realistic.

During the An'ei era, Shigemasa Kitao was popular due to bijinga. Realistic demarcation was also added to yakusha-e, and Shunsho Katsukawa painted boring nigao-e (portraits).

In addition, Utamaro Kitagawa Utamaro appeared, who painted many okubi-e (bust portraits), which were a type of bijinga with a subtle, graceful and pleasant manner.

In 1790, the Aratame-in approval system was created and various restrictions were applied to printed publications.

In 1795, a hanmoto (publisher) named Juzaburo Tsutaya, whose assets had been confiscated for his violation of the ban, introduced Sharaku Toshusai as a revival measure. Although he attracted public attention with his uniquely exaggerated yakusha-e, his popularity created a poor impression due to his excessive exaggeration of features, and he was defeated by Toyokuni Utagawa's series "Yakusha butai no sugatae" (Images of Actors on Stage), which was extremely popular.

Subsequently, the largest school of eshi ukiyo-e artists began to emerge, the Utagawa school, consisting of students of Toyokuni.

Late stage

It dates from 1807 to about 1858.

After the death of Utamaro Kitagawa, the mainstream of bijinga turned to sensual, sexual beauty and attractiveness as portrayed by Keisai Eisen.

Hokusai Katsushika, one of Shunsho Katsukawa's students, painted "Fugaku sanju rokkei" ("Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji"), which led to the printing of "Tokaido Gojusan-tsugi" ("Fifty-three stations of Tokaido") by Hiroshige Utagawa, amid the flourishing of travel. . Thanks to these two artists, meiso-e (landscape painting) in the ukiyo-e genre was developed.

In the yakusha-e genre, Kunisada Utagawa, as the successor of his teacher Toyokuni Utagawa, painted strong yakusha-e.

In kusazoshi, musha-e began to be painted by Kuniyoshi Utagawa and others, along with the popularity fantastic tales.

At that time, Kuniyoshi Utagawa's Suikoden (Water Bank) series gained popularity, and the Suikoden boom occurred.

"Edo sunako saisenki", published in 1853, described "Toyokuni Nigao (nigao-e), Kuniyoshi Musha (musha-e) and Hiroshige Meisho (meiso-e)."

Final stage

It dates from 1859 to about 1912. Yokohama-e (Yokohama ukiyo-e) became fashionable among people who were inspired by Commodore Matthew Perry's kurofune ("black ships") and became interested in Western cultures. After the Meiji Restoration, kaika-e (enlightenment paintings) depicting rare Western architecture and railways replaced Yokohama-e.

While in Japan, which was destroyed as a result of the Meiji Restoration, grotesque things appeared in kabuki and other entertainment performances, Yoshiiku Ochiai and Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, who were students of Kuniyoshi Utagawa, painted "Eimei nijuhachishuku", which depicted bloody scenes and were called muzan -e, as well as illustrations for articles in Nishikie Shimbun.

Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, with his exquisite sketch-based drawings, created not only muzan-e, but also many rekishiga (history paintings) and fuzokuga, and came to be called "the last ukiyo-e artist." Because he strongly encouraged his students to explore other genres of fine art, many students achieved greatness as illustrators and Japanese-style artists, such as Kiyokata Kaburaki; thus, the ukiyo-e tradition spread to other genres.

In addition, some artists of the Kano school began to paint ukiyo-e, including Kyosai Kawatabe.

Kiyoshika Kobayashi created new landscape paintings called kosenga that did not use profile lines.

Ysifuji Utagawa applied ukiyo-e to omocha-e, now called newspaper supplements, and, due to the popularity of the idea, played an active role as an eshi artist specializing in otocha-e. He was even called "Omocha Yoshifuji".

Ukiyo-e gradually declined, losing popularity in newspapers, photography, new technologies such as lithography, etc. Ukiyo-e artists showed their ingenuity with photographs, mostly in vain, and were forced to become illustrators, etc. History ukiyo-e, which had been going on since the Edo period, almost ended with the last print being senso-e depicting the Sino-Japanese War.

From the Taisho period to the Showa period, Hasui Kawase and others set out to revive ukiyo-e with new woodblock prints, and also left many works that used the multi-color ukiyo-e printing technology.

Themes and types of ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e depicts the daily life of ordinary people

Ukiyo-e originally appeared as paintings depicting the customs and mores of everyday life in "ukiyo". Landscapes, portraits of kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and yujo (prostitutes) were depicted. Many fall under the category of modern comics and contain elements of caricature. Traditional themes that were supposed to be the material for Chinese painting and Yamato-e paintings were sometimes transformed for Ukiyo-e.

As for shunga (erotic art) depicting love scenes, they were painted by the most famous artists esi. Shunga was often sold in package deals. Because their selling prices were high, a lot of money was spent on creation and complex production methods were used. While having an element of ridicule (ridiculing) actual sexual culture, they were not necessarily sensational, and it was noted that they should not be viewed solely as pornography.

Types of ukiyo-e

Bijinga: Paintings of young women.

Kanban muzume (poster girls) and yujo, which were popular at the time, were depicted.

Yakushae: Drawings of popular kabuki actors, etc.

Some of them looked like clichés and some served as tirasis (leaflets).

Caricature: Comically drawn pictures.

They turned on the toba-uh. There were humorous scenes and personifications. They kept the caricature elements in check, but always emphasized the entertainment aspect.

Tobae: Cartoons depicting human characters with long arms and legs. They are derived from the name Toba Sojo (leading figure). Early comics are sometimes referred to in this way.

Comics: Etechon (art guide).

Drawings depicting the entire universe. They were different from modern comics. Hokusai's manga (Hokusai's sketches) were a case in point.

Shunga: Drawings depicting sex scenes and other sensual things.

There were small printed publications with sex toys and personalized penis etc. These were so common in rural areas that nishiki-e actually meant shunga. They could have been part of the dowry.

Meishoe: Drawings depicting famous landscapes.

Drawings were permitted to the common people of the period who could not travel freely to see the coveted famous landmarks. They were also used as tourist brochures.

Musa-e: Drawings of famous samurai appearing in legends, fantasy tales and stories.

They came into fashion, especially with the boom in fantasy tales. The Bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by the shogun) prohibited the depiction of Nobunaga Oda and the warriors after him.

Rekishiga: Drawings depicting historically famous scenes.

After the Meiji Restoration, there were works depicting the last emperors in order to promote the legitimacy of the imperial family.

Omochae: Drawings for children.

Among them were works to be pasted onto sugoroku (Japanese backgammon) and menko (Japanese-style honeycombs), miniatures of popular ukiyo-e, fashionable paper dolls, works called zukushi-e, under which many ghosts, warriors and etc. Many ideas were adopted for use in children's toys.

Mitate-e: Parodies of classical works.

Sumoue: Drawings depicting sumo. Among them were stereotypical drawings representing sumo wrestlers at the time.

Kharimadze-e: Works in which several images were applied to one sheet of paper.

Blue-e: The woodcut was published as a result of the death of a celebrity.

Some of them were for famous esi artists.

Kodomo-e: Drawings depicting children playing.

Nagasaki-e: Drawings depicting foreign cultures seen in Nagasaki. Yokohama-e: Drawings filled with the exotic atmosphere of Yokohama.

Namazu-e: Drawings that appeared after the Great Ansey earthquakes.

According to popular superstition, prayer (som) brings earthquakes.

Noso-e: A talisman to ward off smallpox.

Uchiwa-e: Drawings that were glued to fans.

Ukiyo-e woodblock print production method

People who painted ukiyo-e were called ukiyo-e artists or eshi artists (edakumi [artist]). The people who carved the ukiyo-e artists' designs onto wooden blocks were horishi (choko [carvers]), and the people who painted the wooden blocks and printed them were surishi (printers). Although the process of creating ukiyo-e was a collaborative effort, usually only the names of the eshi artists were remembered. At least four parties were required, including additional side as a buyer.

"Kento" (modern register [printing] marks) were attached to check the position of the paper and prevent color shifts in multi-color printing. Some have suggested that they were invented by a wholesale merchant for the publication of Kitiemon Uemura in 1744, but others have argued that they were used in 1765 by a surishi named Kinroku. They are also said to have been invented by Gennai Hiraga, who was related to Harunobu Suzuki. Phrases such as "Kento wo tsukeru" (to target), "Kento chigai" (inaccurate), "Kentou hazure" (out of register), which are used even today, come from this "Kento".

Influence of ukiyo-e

Recognition and influence of ukiyo-e in the world

During the Meiji era or later, ukiyo-e received little attention in Japan, and many of the works were exported from the country. Consequently, no legitimate, systematic and academic research has been conducted on ukiyo-e as a work of fine art, and opinions based on various sources of knowledge have been partially and consistently repeated only by individual collectors and researchers.

Moreover, as usual, forgeries were created of many famous works, including Harunobu Suzuki, Utamaro Kitagawa and others common since the Edo period.

On the other hand, in Western countries, ukiyo-e was discovered and highly appreciated by the great masters of the impressionist school, whose works were influenced by ukiyo-e, and even their reproductions were created in oil paintings. Apparently at least 200,000 or more ukiyo-e objects are in storage at 20 or more of the most prestigious Western museums; in addition, various individuals own private collections, thus indicating that ukiyo-e is the only foreign art form that is collected in such large quantities. Many museums hold over 10,000 ukiyo-e objects, such as the Museum fine arts in Boston - 50,000 objects, State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin with 30,000 items, etc.

Ukiyo-e is the only brightly colored woodblock print in the world; in the western fine arts there is no genre that is considered to contribute to its appreciation. Among the many scattered ukiyo-e, there were a large number of works with relatively simple designs, including Utamaro, while ukiyo-e with richly colored (flamboyant) complex designs were surprisingly few.

Since ukiyo-e is sold domestically in chain stores that have spread abroad, it is hoped that in the future, ukiyo-e will be regarded as a rare artistic work in the world so that it high mark This type of art was not limited to the West.

It is also valuable that ukiyo-e is the only material in the world that depicts different lives ordinary people during the Middle Ages.

According to Meiji period documents, there were approximately 2,000 eshi artists before this time, provided that unknown artists were included. Since between 100 and 200 works were printed at that time, a huge amount of ukiyo-e appeared in cities and, unlike any other place in the world, high-quality works of art were very popular among ordinary people.

Influence from abroad

At the same time that ukiyo-e influenced Japaneseism in Western countries, it also received influence from abroad. The synthetic pigment Prussian blue ("bero" from Berlin), which originates from Germany, produces a vibrant color and was used by Hokusai Katsushika and others. Western techniques of perspective and shading were also adopted.

Impact on foreign countries

In 1865, the French artist Bracquemont showed his friends Hokusai's Manga, which was on pottery wrapping paper, and it ended up having a great influence on the Impressionists. This caused a situation in Europe where ukiyo-e works were sold at high prices that were unimaginable in Japan at the time, since in Japan itself ukiyo-e was the entertainment of ordinary people, and used and damaged works were sold at prices so low that that they were used as packaging material for sea cargo.

Ukiyo-e even influenced classical music, since Claude Debussy was inspired by "Kanagawa oki nami ura" ("The Great Wave off Kanagawa") Hokusai and wrote "La Mer" (The Sea) (the engraving was used on the cover of an orchestral score published in 1905, and there is a photograph in which the engraving can be identified as a decoration in a study).

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