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- THE GALLERY COLLECTS: SHIN HANGA
Introduction
Ukiyo-e
Woodblock prints called ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) have a long colourful history in Japan. They were hand-coloured woodblock prints or multiblock colour prints, which were cheaply produced in great numbers as affordable art for the lower and middle classes. The main subject matter of these prints include theatre performers, courtesans, landscapes, scenes of everyday life, historical events and bird-and-flower depictions. The painter or sketcher was often given most of the credit for their production, but it was really a collaborative effort with block carvers, printers and publishers or distributors. The popularity of the ukiyo-e extended as far as Europe where they impacted the work of some Impressionist and Post-Impressionist ar�tists. As a source of inspiration and an example of unsurpassed techniques, these prints cannot be ignored by any artist.
Meiji Japan (1868-1912)
The Meiji period (1868-1912) in Japan is one of the most interesting eras in modern history. Before Emperor Meiji's restoration in 1868, Japan was an isolated feudal and extremely backward country, but by his death in 1912, Japan had become a major power in the modern world. No other society in modern times transformed itself so rapidly and so drastically. Every aspect of Japanese society was affected by this upheaval, including a redirection of artistic energies. The art in the early years of Meiji rule was noted for its zealous emulation of Western artistic ideas and the rejection of tradi�tional Japanese art forms. With Emperor Meiji calling for the wholesale adoption of Western ideas into Japan, the days of traditional woodblock prints seemed numbered. The new era wanted a realistic or photo-likeness of art rather than the outmoded ukiyo-e tradition. Ukiyo-e prints were slowly being pushed aside by Western-style engraving, etching, lithography and camera illustrations.
During the Meiji period, a fruitful exchange of artistic expression be�tween Japanese and Western art began. Japanese arts and crafts, especially woodblock prints, were arriving in Europe on trade ships as well as being displayed in international exhibitions. They evoked enormous enthusiasm among European artists and caused a profound change in their late 19th century artistic ideas. The imported Japanese art spurred a fashionable
AGGV COLLECTS/SHIN HANGA 5
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