Ukiyo-E Japan

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J esslyn A riesta J ohan



Content 1

Introduction

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Golden Age

6

Prostitute is Everywhere

9

Surrealism Touch

12

Timeline

14

Landscape Painting

17

Tempo Reform

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Ukiyo-E Fell so Far

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Positive Thing of Westernization

25

Ukiyo-E Nowadays

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Nowadays Artist

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Artwork

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List of References



Introduction There are so many factors can affect art movement in this world. Economic expansion, internal stability, and flourishing cultural arts are some factors of Ukiyo-E art movement In 1630s three decrees are issued by the Shogun (a military governor whose power exceeded the emperor’s) because of fearful of the potential impact of European colonial expansion and Christian missionaries on Japanese culture. All Japanese citizens’ travel were restricted. They can not travel overseas or return from other country. Foreign trade was resticted to approved Dutch and Chinese traders sailing to the Nagasaki Seaport. This period called national isolation. Another thing influencing Ukiyo-E was urbanization. The urbanization of Japanese bring artists to started writing stories and novels. based on their feeling. Then they combined between stories and painting, and became Ehon (book and story with illustration painting). Ukiyo-e painting also applied

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Tan-E The Flaming Pearl by Torii Kiyonobu

on calendar, postcard, and Kabuki poster. Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. This technique dissatisfaction caused by a group of artists against traditional painting. The painting became popular after a great fire destroyed Edo in 1657. After that great fire, they struggled to build their house and bring out

Benizure-E Mitate no Soga- Juro, Goro, and Yoshaihide by Torii Kiyonobu

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“cheap decorative market“.

In 1745, Torii Kiyonobu

Hishikawa Muronobu, an

developed a technique to

artists from Edo tried to sell

using a series of blocks and

his painting to the publisher

each block will print one

without text. He was trying

color to make a painting.

to entertain and motivate sad

Mostly they used red color

people to decorate their house

from Saffloerr for every

with his painting. One of his

painting. A painting used

popular painting is “Mikaeri

red-orange color called Tan-e,

Bijin Zu“ means “beautiful

a painting used dark red

lady looking back“. Firstly,

called Beni-E, and a painting

Ukiyo-E painting popular

with 2 or 3 other colors called

with single color and used

Benizuri-e. Ukiyo-e painting

India ink only. then some

being more unique with red

printd were manually colored

color only, the red subject will

by brush.

be eye catching.

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Golden Age An artist never stop painting and experiencing. in 1764, Suzuki Harunobu developed a colouful painting. Every artist tried to make a colorful painting and it became a golden year of Ukiyo-E. Painting with full color called Nikishi-E. Ukiyo-e technique was also supported by availability of high quality paper (Washi) which can used for overlap coloring and printing process. Ukiyo-e is a genre of japanese woodblock prints or woodcut. It is not just a painting, it can called as “social life art“ because the Ukiyo-e always mention about the social life and what people see, what people feel in that time, and very emotional. Affordable, other word to describe ukiyo-e. The technique of Ukiyo-E make everyone can buy this painting because at first ukiyo -e technique

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was created to duplicate paintings for townsmen which do not have enough money to buy original painting. So ukiyo-e painting can be enjoyed by the poorest until the richest.

Nikishi-E The Girls by Suzuki Harunobu

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Prostitute is Everywhere Japan tradition really profitable for men. Women are required to obey her husband, day by day care of the house, should not live luxuriously and arrogant. Their daily lives simply by sewing, spinning yarn, weaving. They should not drink too much wine and tea. They also must be wellKaiyoikomachi (A Geisha in her Lover’s Room) by Kitagawa Utamaro

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dressed. This conditions made woman very weak and do not have enough


education. Whereas men as

in marriage made no

head of family should be

romance in household. It

served like a king. They can

led men to looking for their

do everything they want.

own pleasure, while their

Riotous habits of men based

wifes should stay at home.

on the desire for pleasure in

The wife and daughter were

domestic, but government

conquered by Kabuki actors,

banned them to contact with

but over time it evolved into

other country. Matchmaking

a place of entertainment where the sex trade. This show was originally played by men and women, but then the show played by men because many women sell them themselves. Famous Kabuki actors eventually became the husband of the wife or hushband of merchant’s daughter. At the end, this habit defined as floating world, that is a life

Otani Oniji II in the role of Yakko

full of freedom and wordly pleasures.

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by Katsushika Hokusai

In that time, people really

amusements, including the

looking for enternainment by

Kabuki theatre and the

various social classes, and

prostitute distcrict. Prostitute

prostitute became rampant.

brought some artists to

Hedonitic definition must be

get inspired from their

added the connotations of

environment around and

stylishness and smartness, as

what they see to make some

well certain bawdy overtones

“satirical paintings� which is

that connected it with the

intended for prostition users

common people’s fad and

and workers.

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Surrealism Touch All artists keep exploring on their painting. In 1790 some painting catched people attention with serrealism touch. Ookubi-E format being popular because the point of view of this painting is on subject’s face, tha painters drew the face is bigger than other body part. In that period, Kitagawa Utamaro and Sharaku were so popular. Every artist has their characteristic in their painting. Kitagawa Utamaro always be himself, he paint what he want, not painting what people like. He paint based on his observations of their physical expressions, gesture, and emotional. He concentrated on produce a number of very famous series half-length single potraits of women, all featuring women of the Yoshiwara district. Women characteristic in his painting is always wears Kimono (Japan traditional clothes) and the women hair

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do. Every woman that he paint was charming and sometimes sensual. Whereas Sharaku is not really expose compared with Kitagawa. He always paint men, Kabuki. His career was short because the radical nature of his work aroused the histility of the art world in Edo, he depicted them too truthfully and his prints did not conform to accepted ideas.

Sparrow Dance Yoshiwara by Kitagawa Utamaro

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In 1800 appeared a radical

shoulders stooped and sharp

change in taste. along with

lines, replacing the tall

the loss of inspiration in

and elegant body shape in

terms of design ideas as

the past. Images of actors

well as the declining quality

became more exaggerated

of prints. This period of

and creepy. This change

short bodies painting with

occurs because the ukiyo-e paintings are already in mass production and people are not so concerned about the quality of the paper used, while demand continues grow, it made ukiyo-e print and duplcated quickly and in large numbers. Also government regulations that restrict the circulation of print materials among the

Segawa Tomisaburo II by Sharaku

general public.

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1657

[Hishikawa Muronobu sold his painting with text - single color]

[because fearful of potential impact of european colonial expansion and Christioan missionaries on Japanese culture]

1764

1630

National Isolation by Shogun

Great Fire Destroyed Edo

Suzuki Harunobu developed a colorful painting - Hishiki-E

Ukiyo-E 1657

Urbanization

1657

[artists started writing stories and novels - Ehon]

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Surrealism Touch by Kitagawa Utamaro & Sharaku Ookubi-E

Torii Kiyonobu developed a technique using 2 or 3 colors


[Influencing impressionist, cubist, and post impressionist Japonisme]

1842

Tempo Reforms [picture of courtesans, geisha, and actors were banned]

[influencing modern poetry]

now

1800

Ukiyo-E Fell so Far

Image became more exaggerated and creepy

Manga Characters

Landscape Painting by Katsushika Hokusai VS Ando Hiroshige, & Kunisada

Westernization [foreign merchant ships came to Japan]

20th century

1831

1868

timeline

New Print was Born [Shin Hanga & Sousaku Hanga] Wanatabe Shozaburo (publisher)

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Landscape Painting

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by Katsushika Hokusai

After a few years so many men and women painting, people get bored and new subject of ukiyo-e was born. This is the last movement of original ukiyo-e painting. In 1831 Katsushika Hokusai started published his painting, and he also has a painting characteristic. His painting depicted mostly landscape and nature. One of the most popular of his painting is Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, based on occupied a special

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place in Japan, this 3776

not agree with landscape is

meter volcano first catches

a subject of painting, but

the rising sun’s rays at dawn.

these artists do not care. As

Hokusai Katsushika can

always, landscape painting

be termed as a very famous

also based on people life,

artist and prolific at this

in that time people started

time because he was the

to like travelling in their

only artist who produced

country. Other artists who

35,000 works in 7 decades

painted landscape and

nonstop. Some people do

nature are Ando Hiroshinge

Tokaido Gojusantsugi by Ando Hiroshinge

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and Kunisada with motifs from nature. Competition is inevitable in art world, Katsushika Hokusai rival in landscape painting is Ando Hiroshinge with his popular painting, Tokaido Gojusantsugi. He inspiring the Eurpean impressionist by his brilliant spatial composition and ability to capture the transient moment of the landscape. His famous quote is “I leave my brush in the East and set forth on my journey. I shall see the famous places in the western land“.

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Tempo Reform Japan began to change, the

reforms called Tenpo reform.

art began to receive attention.

This reform prohibits the

People are starting to think

circulation of paintings that

about good and bad subject

contain images courtesans,

of a painting. It made the

geisha and actor.

The Fourth Month of the Lunar Calendar (Unohana-zuki) by Utagawa Toyokuni III Around 1848-1854 (Kaei period)

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Photograph in Japan (1868-1926)

At the time of the Edo

Japan. Cultural changes are

period was largely a period

reflected. In 1868, Japan

of calm that provided an

became very open to foreign

ideal environment for the

things from West such as

development of the art in

photography. In golden age

a commercial form. Japan

of ukiyo-e, the artist used

is very closed and very

natural materials as a dye,

maintain their cultures. But

but when western radicals

at the moment Kaei period

occurs, natural dyes began to

(1848-1854), many foreign

be replaced by chemical dyes

merchant ships came to

imported from Germany.

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Ukiyo E Fell so Far Ukiyo-e paintings are so cooped up in Japan, eventhough the subjects was changes and so many artist painting in various characteristics, when Japan began opening up to the outside world, Japan is like a man just opened his eyes. Ukiyo-e painting which always popular in Japan became fell so far because of the western cultrure. Japan’s leader began building a modern nation with economic and military similarities to western nations. In that moment, the Europeans also began to see Japan and particularly Ukiyo-E are being dropped. Even ukiyo-e inspired impressionist, cubist and post-impressionist such as Vincent Van Gogh, James Abbot McNeill Wristler, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. This influence called Japonisme.

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Japonisme by Van Gogh

Lack of perspective and shadow, the flat areas of strong color, and the compositional freedom gained by placing the subject off-centre, mostly a law diagonal axis to the background were especially affected Japonisme artists. With typical ukiyo-e are always painted by what they felt, what they seen and

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Cathay by Ezra Pound

still maintain their own culture, made Western artist using elements of eastern styles in works showing their culture. Early Modernist poetry such as Ezra Pound, Richard Aldington, and Amy Lowell are also influenced by ukiyo-e painting.

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Positive Thing of Westernization Meiji period looks like the end of the ukiyo-e paintings, but openness to the outside world that happened in the Meiji period not only bring negative thing, it also gives a positive thing to Japan. In 20th century, new print was born in Taisho and Showa period, named Shin-Hanga (means “New Sousaku Hanga

Prints“) and Sousaku Hanga (means “Creative Print“). Shin-Hanga still drew

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upon ukiyo-e traditions, creating images of traditional Japanese scenes, in traditional modes, and forms. Many Shin-Hanga paintings Shin-Hanga

were exported to America. Unfortunately Sousaki Hanga painting was like a western painting and has different process with ukiyo-e technique. Watanabe Shozaburo was the major publisher. He took the western elements such as

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Snow at Itsukushima by Wanatabe Sozaburo

effects of light and expression of individual moods but focused on strictly traditional themes. This is the other influenced by ukiyo-e. Shin Hanya became very popular because western collectors enjoyed images of traditional Japan and moured its loss, as Japan pressed forward Wanatabe Sozaburo

with medernizarion and Westernization campaign.

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Ukiyo E Nowadays Japan was success to maintain its culture in Edo period, but a country would not be able to survive without any supports from other country. Ukiyo-e which is trapped bring it became a historical art movement. Eventhough the ukiyo-e was an old art and many external influence change it character, paper, process, and tchnique. People are now beginning to understand the importance of protecting and preserving the culture. People are starting to flashback, and looking for authenticity of the character and it origin style. If japan open it country publicly since Edo period, ukiyo-e would be just an ordinary art and not be

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exposed as much as ukiyo-e that we know. However, the bored people against government restrictions that limit their interaction with other countries, and the emergence many negative things

Manga Character

(such as : sex trafficking), of this rule made Japanese dare to open up to the outside world that does not directly Japan must be ready to suffer the

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consequences, which is westernization that alter japan in many parts like life style, education, economics, and of course culture, ukiyo-e which began to wear off and turn into new art with different techniques and processes. Since then, ukiyo-e continues to influence art and artists around the world. One example of Japanese art movement that influenced by ukiyo-e and familiar is manga comics.

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Nowadays

Artist a 28


“I love looking at old prints, because they are a window to a Japan that is gone forever. I can never go back to 1800s Edo, so looking at these prints are my only way to see what life was like back then. It is amazing to see how much has changed, but also see things those are still exactly the same in Japanese society.�

- Jed Henry Illustrator

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Artwork Ukiyo is an art movement which produce painting by what the painters feel around them. Some of them are satirical paintings. Nowadays, people don’t really care about the culture. Wayang Gunungan is one of Indonesian popular culture. I made this to remind people that we still have this one to be seen, to be enjoyed, and to be conserved.

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artwork

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List of References Japan Foundation 2011, accessed 25 April 2013, <http://www.jpf.or.id/ artikel/budaya/ukiyo-e>. Art in the Picture 2013, accessed 25 April 2013, <http://www. artinthepicture.com/styles/Ukiyo-e/>. Art in the Picture 2013, accessed 25 April 2013, <http://www. artinthepicture.com/artists/Kitagawa_Utamaro/>. Art in the Picture 2013, accessed 25 April 2013, <http://www. artinthepicture.com/artists/Katsushika_Hokusai/>. Art in the Picture 2013, accessed 25 April 2013, <http://www. artinthepicture.com/artists/Ando_Hiroshige/>. Bencoer, 2009, Budaya Jepang, weblog, accessed 4 June 2013 <http://japan-di-hati.blogspot.com/2009/06/budaya-jepang.html>. Anggi, 2011, Mengenal Ukiyo-E, weblog, accessed 13 December 2013, <http://angginisme.blogspot.com/2011/12/mengenal-ukiyo-e.html>.

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Michener, J 1980, Primitive ukiyo-e from the James A. Michener collection in the Honolulu Academy of Arts / Howard A. Link, with the assistance of Jūzō Suzuki and Roger S. Keyes, 1st edn, The University Press of Hawaii Honolulu, Honolulu. Clark, T 1992, Ukiyo-e paintings in the British Museum, British Museum Press, London. Kobayashi, T 1997, Ukiyo-E an Introduction to Japanese Woodblock prints, 1st edn, Kodansha International, Tokyo. Meggs, P 1998, A History of Graphic Design, 3rd edn, Wiley, John & Sons, Canada. ‘Ukiyo-E, Ukiyo-E, wiki article, April 18 2013, accessed 25 April 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e>. ‘Japonism‘, Japonism, wiki article, May 12 2013, accessed 25 April 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japonism>. Patria, A 2012, ‘Ukiyo-e, Seni Popular (Pop Arts) Zaman Edo‘, PhD thesis, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, accessed 25 April 2013 from Google. Henry, T 2013, email 13 May, <thejedhenry@gmail.com>. Isnoen, I 2006, ‘Pendekatan Semiotik Seni Lukis Jepang‘, paper presented at Ukiyo-E, Seni Popular (Pop Arts) Zaman Edo, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, 2012. Bramford, L 1997, ‘The Art of Japanese Prints’, paper presented at Ukiyo-E, Seni Popular (Pop Arts) Zaman Edo, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, 2012.

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