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- Over the past few centuries, Japanese artists have dominated the world of printmaking. Although Japanese printmakers have at times been affected by Western artistic ideas, their work has also influenced some of Europe�s greatest artists.
Today, Japanese prints�both ancient and modern�are extremely popular in the West. They are easily appreciated and have a direct appeal which makes them one of the most sought after art forms from the Far East.
The long tradition of Japanese printmaking is rich in invention and artistic expression. Within this tradition, the three major stages of development are the ukiyo-e hanga, the shin hanga and the sosaku hanga. The term hanga means a print produced by means of block, usually of wood.
Background
Printing originated in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907) and made its first appear�ance in Japan in the eighth century. At that time, relations between China and Japan were frequent and active with Japanese students going to China to study and Chinese scholars and Buddhist priests often travelling to Japan. In succeeding centuries, printmaking in China played an indispensible role in the develop�ment of early Japanese illustrations and prints.
In China, the use of woodblocks for printing took a long time to develop and seems to have happened sometime after the year A.D. 700. The first printed works were copies of Buddhist texts and images, used as a means of spreading the faith. Later, the Daoists and Confucianists used printing in a similar way for the spread of their philosophies.
During the Song dynasty (960-1279), Chinese printing reached new heights with the inven�tion of movable type by at least the 1040�s. The Song period in China was notable for its many advances in culture, science, fine arts, litera�ture and philosophy. These developments were due in large part to the spread of inexpensive printed books throughout the country.
Under the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the first text of a popular play appeared in print, and by the late part of the Ming dynasty (1368- 1644), colour prints were being produced. The
Au cours des quelques derniers si�cles, les artistes japonais ont domin� le monde de l�estampe. Bien que ces artistes-graveurs aient de temps en temps subi l�influence de l�esth�tique occidentale, leur oeuvre a �gale�ment influenc� quelques-uns des plusgrands artistes europ�ens.
Aujourd�hui, l�estampe japonaise�� la fois ancienne et moderne�est extr�mement pris�e dans l�Ouest. L�appr�ciation en est facile, le charme en est direct, ce qui fait que c�est un des genres artistiques de l�Extr�me- Orient le plus recherch�.
La longue tradition de l�estampe japonaise est riche de par son invention et son expression artistique. Au sein de cette tradition, les trois �tapes majeures de son �volution sont l'ukiyo- e hanga, le shin hanga et le sosaku hanga. Le mot hanga signifie une gravure faite au moyen d�une planche, normalement en bois.
Historique
L�imprimerie a ses origines en Chine � l��poque de la dynastie Tang (618-907); elle fait son apparition premi�re au Japon au huiti�me si�cle. A cette �poque, les relations entre la Chine et le Japon sont fr�quentes et actives, les �tudiants japonais se rendant en Chine pour �tudier et les savants et les pr�tres chinois voyageant souvent au Japon. Au cours des si�cles suivants, la xylographie en Chine a jou� un r�le indispensable dans l��volution de l�illustration et de l�estampe japonaise primitive.
En Chine, l�utilisation des planches pour l�impression a mis longtemps � �voluer et semble se produire peu apr�s l�an 700 apr�s J.-C. Les premi�res oeuvres imprim�es �taient des copies de textes et d�images bouddhiques, utilis�es comme moyen de propagation de la foi. Plus tard, les Daoistes et les Confucianistes se sont servis de l�impri�merie de la m�me fa�on, pour propager leur philosophie.
Pendant la dynastie des Song (960-1279), l�imprimerie chinoise atteint de nouveaux sommets gr�ce � l�invention des caract�res mobiles, d�s les ann�es 1040 tout au moins. La p�riode des Song en Chine est remarquable en raison des progr�s accomplis dans les domaines de la culture, la science, les beaux
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