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- Other lesser-known artists of this period included Toyohiro (1773-1828) [19] and Shun- sen (1762-1830) [22], Toyohiro was Hiroshige�s teacher and Shunsen was a pupil of Shunei.
In the nineteenth century, remarkable changes occurred in the ukiyo-e school: printing techniques were perfected, and artists began making work which appealed to a broader public. They concentrated on the ordinary daily experiences of the common people and famous locations in the Japanese landscape. They also shifted from portraits of actors to pictures of the more dramatic scenes in the kabuki plays.
During the period from 1820-60, Japan�s two greatest printmakers were the landscape artists, Hokusai (1760-1849) and Hiroshige (1797-1858).
Historians consider Shunsho�s pupil, Hokusai [23, II], the first successful landscapedesigner of the ukiyo-e school. Hokusai studied Chinese painting as well as several different styles of Japanese painting, but his success really resulted from his use of European per�spective. At one point he made several landscapes based directly on European copper engravings. Hokusai�s prints are characterized by strong outlines and flat washes of yellow-green tints. He had his own unique view of nature which gave his prints a distinctively dynamic quality.
Hokusai�s greatest landscapes formed part of three series entitled �Thirty-six Views of Fuji,� �Bridges� and �Waterfalls.� He was extremely prolific and produced numerous volumes of sketches (called manga) as well as bird-and- flower prints, surimono (a limited edition of small prints for a special occasion) and prints of courtesans, actors and sumo wrestlers. His work, which is fanciful and full of subtle insights, can also be quite comical and his prints are among the liveliest ones ever made. Hokusai was an artistic genius, totally dedi�cated to his work, who is said to have created more than 30,000 designs in his nearly seventy-year career. He had no regard for financial matters and referred to himself as �an old man mad about painting.� The atmosphere of restless activity which characterized his work probably reflected his own abundant energy. Hokusai�s numerous pupils include Hokuju (active 1789-1818), Shinsai (1764-
profondeurs de sensualit�. A cet �gard, personne ne l�a jamais �gal�, ni en talent, ni en originalit�. Apr�s sa mort, un des �l�ves d�Utamaro a �pous� sa veuve; il a ensuite commenc� � tirer des �preuves inf�rieures portant la signature du ma�tre. On le conna�t sous le nom d�Utamaro II (mort en 1831?) [9].
L�un des rivaux d�Utamaro �tait Toyokuni (1764-1825) [10], qui a �t� l��l�ve d�Utagawa Toyoharu (1735-1814), le fondateur de l��cole Utagawa. Toyoharu a �tudi� les gravures hollandaises et a produit des estampes � perspective merveilleusement d�taill�es, c�est-�-dire des uki-e. Toyokuni a trait� plusieurs th�mes, mais s�est sp�cialis� dans les estampes qui pr�sentent des sc�nes du Kabuki. Ses grands personnages majestueux, bien proportionn�s, expriment parfois des �motions dramatiques intenses. Toyokuni a �tudi� les oeuvres d�autres artistes-graveurs et a utilis� � bon escient le style populaire de l��poque. Il avait de nombreux disciples, y compris des sommit�s telles que Toyokuni II, Toyokuni III (ou Kunisada), Kuniyoshi, Kuni- masa et Kuninao, parmi d�autres. On en parlera plus loin.
Sharaku (actif 1794-1795) [12] �tait le contem�porain de Toyokuni et un ancien danseur professionnel du th��tre No. Sharaku est devenu un des plus grands portraitistes du monde et l�une des personnalit�s les plus controvers�es et myst�rieuses de toute la tradition ukiyo-e. Il n�y a aucun d�tail biogra�phique digne de foi le concernant, mais il para�t qu�il n�a travaill� que pendant dix mois, depuis le milieu de 1794 jusqu�au d�but de 1795; il a produit environ 150 dessins avant de dispara�tre subitement, aussi myst�rieusement qu�il �tait arriv� sur sc�ne. En raison des expressions bizarrement contorsionn�es des acteurs de ses estampes, ce qui intime une tentative de ridiculiser les acteurs, il n�avait pas la cote aupr�s d�eux; cela pourrait peut- �tre expliquer sa disparition. Alors que les regards f�roces de ses acteurs communiquent un sentiment intense d�intrigue, ses couleurs sont toujours d�licates et harmonieuses. Cependant, pour son �poque, le style de Sharaku �tait estim� trop exp�rimental et trop excentrique, trop franc et peut-�tre trop r�aliste. Par cons�quent, le public a rejet� son oeuvre, et son vrai g�nie n�a �t� reconnu que beaucoup plus tard. Puisqu�il a produit un nombre si limit� d�estampes, elles sont
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