Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: ukiyoe

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Ando Hiroshige

安藤広重広重
alternative words: Hiroshige Ando, Andou Hiroshige, Hiroshige Andou, Hiroshige
keywords: artist , famous person , ukiyoe
related topics: Ukiyoe , Edo period
related web sites: http://www.csweb.co.jp/TBK/hirosige/art-hiro.htm , http://www.hikyaku.com/gallery/english/hakone.htm
explanation: Ukiyoe artist, Ando Hiroshige was born in Edo (actual Tokyo) in the 9th year of Kanse era (1797). At first, he learned to paint from Utagawa Hiroshige, then formed his own style by learning even from Western schools. The success of the series, Tokaido Gojyusantsugi made definitive his fame as a landscape painter.

Hishikawa Moronobu

菱川師宣師宣
alternative words: Moronobu Hishikawa, Moronobu
keywords: artist , famous person , ukiyoe
related topics: Ukiyoe , Shunga , Edo period , Kano school
related web sites: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~sanyo/sanyo/mikaeri1.html
explanation: Ukiyoe artist of the early Edo period. Born in 1618 in Chiba prefecture. Arriving to Tokyo, he worked not only as Ukiyoe artist, but also publisher, writer and painter, because Ukiyoe being not established as an independent discipline at that time. He left many master pieces on an active life of Edo citizens like prostitutes in brothel of Yoshiwara, by breaking off from the official but dull paint schools like Kano and Tosa, so he is considered father of Ukiyoe art. He died in 1694.

Katsushika Hokusai

葛飾北斎北斎
alternative words: Hokusai Katsushika, Hokusai
keywords: artist , famous person , ukiyoe
related topics: Ukiyoe , Edo period
related web sites: http://www.town.obuse.nagano.jp/hokusai/index/top.html , http://www.matchbox.co.jp/hokusai/hokusai.html , http://www.hikyaku.com/gallery/english/fugaku.htm
explanation: Katsushika Hokusai is an ukiyoe artist of the late Edo period and excels especially in landscapes and beauty portraits. He owned a very strong ego and the composition and the coloration of his pictures show an overflowing talent. The series Fugaku-Sanjyurokkei is his most representative work.

Kitagawa Utamaro

喜多川歌麿歌麿
alternative words: Utamaro Kitagawa, Utamaro
keywords: artist , famous person , ukiyoe
related topics: Edo period , Ukiyoe
related web sites: http://www.sannichi-ybs.co.jp/SYUNSEN/UTAMARO/uta.html , http://iris.hita.net/~city/west/toko/toko1.htm
explanation: Ukiyoe artist. Born in 1753 but his birth place unknown. He learned first drawing techniques from Toriyama Sekien and began his career as an illustrator for cheap popular books. His talent was soon recognized by a great ukiyoe publisher of that epoch, Tsutaya Juzaburo. Utamaro had been excelled in beauty portrait by zooming maximum women's face. After a condemnation by Edo shogunate to 3 days of jail for one of his drawings, his artist talent shrank. He died a few years later in 1806.

Nishikie

錦絵
alternative words: Nishiki-e, Nishiki e
keywords: art , ukiyoe
related topics: Ukiyoe , Edo period , Hishikawa Moronobu , Suzuki Harunobu
related web sites: http://www.tvz.com/nishiki-e/ , http://www.tokyo-gas.co.jp/gas_museum/nishiki_e/ , http://mdat.ff.tku.ac.jp/korea/korea.html
explanation: Polychrome Ukiyoe art technique invented by Suzuki Harunobu around in 1765. Initiated by Hishikawa Moronobu at early Edo period, until this date Ukiyoe had only one (Sumizuri-e) or few colors (Tan-e and Benizuri-e). By superposing dozens of different color printing, each color showing light and shade, he succeeded to create the world's first full color printing. Since the invention of Harunobu, Ukiyoe had risen to the biggest popular art of Edo period.

Shunga

春画
alternative words: Shun-ga, Shun ga, Erotic ukiyoe, Ukiyoe shunga
keywords: art , ukiyoe
related topics: Edo period , Ukiyoe , Hishikawa Moronobu , Katsushika Hokusai
related web sites: http://ptt01.ptt.co.jp/tnl/ukiyoe-j.htm , http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~gaia-j/u.sakuhin.html
explanation: During Edo period, inhabitants of great towns like Tokyo and Osaka could enjoy divers entertainment, thanks to a warless state of more than 2 centuries, and also due to an imperfection of laws. For example, famous ukiyoe artists like Hishikawa Moronobu, Kitagawa Utamaro or Katsushika Hokusai, were competing for the publication of shunga, i.e. wooden prints which detail sex scenes. Accompanied with abundant comments, they serve as an enlightenment of the public, too.

Suzuki Harunobu

鈴木春信春信
alternative words: Harunobu Suzuki, Harunobu
keywords: artist , famous person , ukiyoe
related topics: Ukiyoe , Hishikawa Moronobu , Edo period , Nishikie
explanation: Born in 1725 and died in 1770. Known as an ukiyoe artist of the middle Edo period, who has developed first multicolored ukiyoe technique (Nishikie). Thanks to this technique and also with an aid of his cultivated samurai entourage, he arrived to express a delicate sentiment of female characters. "Zashiki hakkei" is one of his master pieces. With Hishikawa Moronobu, he is considered one of the major founders of ukiyoe art.

Toshusai Sharaku

東洲斎写楽写楽
alternative words: Sharaku Toshusai, Toushuusai Sharaku, Sharaku Toushuusai, Sharaku
keywords: artist , famous person , mystery , ukiyoe
related topics: Edo period , Ukiyoe , Katsushika Hokusai
related web sites: http://j-entertain.co.jp/Bellsystem/SharakuWorld/Edoinformation/WSharaku-j.html , http://www.lint.ne.jp/~meirokun/sharaku2.htm , http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~h-arita/sharaku.html
explanation: An obscure ukiyoe artist of the middle Edo period. The birth date and place unknown. Because he has left splendid ukiyoe works only during a short period around 1794-1795, it is suggested that Sharaku should be a pseudonym of another well known artist like Katsushika Hokusai or Maruyama Okyo. Being specialized in portrait of kabuki actors, his works show lively their face and gesture.

Ukiyoe

浮世絵
alternative words: Ukiyo-e, Ukiyo e, Japanese woodprint, Woodprint
keywords: art , ukiyoe
related topics: Edo period , Hishikawa Moronobu , Suzuki Harunobu , Ando Hiroshige , Katsushika Hokusai , Kitagawa Utamaro , Shunga , Nishikie
related web sites: http://www.ukiyoe.com , http://www.utagawa.or.jp , http://www.waseda.ac.jp/enpaku/gallery/gallery.html , http://www.azn.ne.jp/SUMO/ , http://www.nbn.co.jp/ukiyoe/ukiyoe_J.html
explanation: Woodprint art appeared in Edo period. Thanks to a long warless state and prosperous merchant activity, this form of art had been extremely popular in Japan. The preferred subjects were at the beginning the face of actors and beautiful girls, but shifted later to the famous landscapes and travel scenery. Katsushika Hokusai and Ando Hiroshige were among the most famous artists. Ukiyoe means "pictures of the floating world" in Japanese.
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9 articles extracted from postgresql database.