AU T U MN / W IN T E R 2020
Collection Peek The MRAG Collection comprises more than 5,000 artworks by Australian and international artists, with a focus on works on paper.
In Focus Artist Utagawa Yoshitora Artwork Golden Vase (detail) 1872-1911 Woodblock print on paper 34.4 x 44.5cm Donated under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts program by Anthony Renshaw in 2017
Designed by highly talented artists, ukiyo-e woodblock prints – also known as ‘pictures of the floating world’ – were created between the 17th and 19th centuries in Japan. These vibrant and beautifully coloured prints, 60 of which are in the MRAG Collection, depict the hedonistic lifestyle of the Edo period, including scenes of Kabuki theatre and courtesans.
Ukiyo-e prints made an impact on European Impressionist and PostImpressionist artists, who were intrigued by their original use of colour, dramatic foreshortening and asymmetrical compositions. Their influence on Western art became known as Japonism. Words: Linden Pomare 28
