Bryce Robinson
Professor Mann
COLA 100LA-1007
30 September 2017
The History of Japanese Art Prints (Ukiyo-e) Japanese art prints, or Ukiyo-e (which literally means “pictures of the floating world”) have been around for centuries and has been an increasingly popular art form in the Western world especially in both Europe and North America throughout the 19th centuryJapanese. “Their upward, floating imagery that is often used in Ukiyo-e sprang from the Buddhist ideology that joy is transient and that only detachment from desire will bring true enlightenment” (Gauvreau). These art prints have had a rich history and development in Japan, as well as producing offshoots of Ukiyo-e prints, and collectors from around the world.
Japanese printmaking …show more content…
“To create an Ukiyo-e art print, first an image is carved in reverse onto woodblocks, covered in ink, and then pressed onto paper” (Gauvreau). These first prints were made in a single color using only Sumi ink. The world would have to wait nearly 900 years for the first colored prints to appear. Artists Okomura Masanobu and Suzuki Harunobu were among the first to produce color woodblock prints. Early color prints were made using a single block and black ink. The colors were hand painted by workers in the print shops. “There had to be a key-block made for the outlines and one block for each color. In addition, the number of impressions that can be produced from one block is quite limited, so many blocks had to be made for a large run of prints” (Gauvreau). But the techniques that were used were varied depending on the artists, but were absolutely critical to the final print. While working, the artist is required to keep a very specific goal in mind while creating the blocks. This mindset should be in line with the Japanese tradition of demonstrating the precise direction of the brush that would be painting the picture, so that the features of the original piece, as well as the written characters, are not in any way destroyed. So, from the artist’s point of view, the direction of the knife should match identically the direction of the brush, which initially inscribed the
Professor Mann
COLA 100LA-1007
30 September 2017
The History of Japanese Art Prints (Ukiyo-e) Japanese art prints, or Ukiyo-e (which literally means “pictures of the floating world”) have been around for centuries and has been an increasingly popular art form in the Western world especially in both Europe and North America throughout the 19th centuryJapanese. “Their upward, floating imagery that is often used in Ukiyo-e sprang from the Buddhist ideology that joy is transient and that only detachment from desire will bring true enlightenment” (Gauvreau). These art prints have had a rich history and development in Japan, as well as producing offshoots of Ukiyo-e prints, and collectors from around the world.
Japanese printmaking …show more content…
“To create an Ukiyo-e art print, first an image is carved in reverse onto woodblocks, covered in ink, and then pressed onto paper” (Gauvreau). These first prints were made in a single color using only Sumi ink. The world would have to wait nearly 900 years for the first colored prints to appear. Artists Okomura Masanobu and Suzuki Harunobu were among the first to produce color woodblock prints. Early color prints were made using a single block and black ink. The colors were hand painted by workers in the print shops. “There had to be a key-block made for the outlines and one block for each color. In addition, the number of impressions that can be produced from one block is quite limited, so many blocks had to be made for a large run of prints” (Gauvreau). But the techniques that were used were varied depending on the artists, but were absolutely critical to the final print. While working, the artist is required to keep a very specific goal in mind while creating the blocks. This mindset should be in line with the Japanese tradition of demonstrating the precise direction of the brush that would be painting the picture, so that the features of the original piece, as well as the written characters, are not in any way destroyed. So, from the artist’s point of view, the direction of the knife should match identically the direction of the brush, which initially inscribed the