The Poetry of Shijo Surimono
September 17 – December 11, 2005
Matukawa, Hanzan (called Kakyo), Marking the Retirement of Yukyo Seiji, 1850s, Haikai ichimaizuri surimono (deluxe color woodblock), ink, color and blind stamping on paper. Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago, Gift of Brooks McCormick Jr., 2003.60.
Celebrating the sophisticated literary and artistic culture of nineteenth-century Japan, the social elite of the day commissioned artists and publishers to create costly and intricate prints called surimono.
While the Shijo surimono made in Kyoto and Osaka have not received nearly the attention and examination of their Edo (modern Tokyo) counterparts, these works shed light on the print culture of nineteenth-century Japan. Shijo prints are characterized by naturalistic images that form a frame for the surrounding elegant poems by literary societies of the time.
Poets and artists celebrated the cultural stars of the day—the masters of the poem, the song, and the stage—and portrayed the complex relationships between the star and his fans. As the examples in this exhibition amply displayed, these prints were distinguished by their imaginative patterns, striking color contrasts, and visually exciting designs.
This exhibition consisted of recent additions to the Smart Museum collection.