From Ukiyo-e to Sosaku Hanga (Japanese Prints of Hokusai, Hiroshige and Munakata)

January–10 April 1989

The Ukiyo-e print developed in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1868), and was characterized by the depiction of the transient world of pleasure and amusement. The artists of the Ukiyo-e concentrated on three subjects: women of the entertainment districts, actors of the Kabuki theater, and landscape and life of the cities. The prints were designed by the artist but transferred into the hands of skilled craftsmen who carved the actual print blocks. When Japan’s era of seclusion ended in 1853 with the arrival of Commodore Perry, the Ukiyo-e style declined, and was soon supplanted by the “creative print” or sosaku hanga in 1918, in which the artist was responsible for the entire creation from design to publication. Despite many stylistic differences, the choice of themes in the sosaku hanga style may still be traced back to the Ukiyo-e tradition. The artists included in the exhibition are Munakata, Hiroshige, and Hokusai whose prints have been borrowed from the Smart Museum’s permanent collection.

Curator: Stephanie D’Alessandro, graduate student curatorial intern 

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