Ukiyo-e
During the Edo period in Japan (1603-1868), ukiyo-e art reached its peak in popularity and production. The Edo period was characterized by a stable and prosperous society under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. The rise of the merchant class and the growth of urban culture in cities like Edo (present-day Tokyo) contributed to the popularity of ukiyo-e.
Ukiyo-e prints during this period depicted a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, historical events, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, beautiful women (known as bijin-ga), and scenes from everyday life. The prints often reflected the pleasures and indulgences of the urban lifestyle, capturing the fleeting and transient nature of the "floating world" (ukiyo).
Artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige gained immense popularity during the Edo period for their landscape prints. Hokusai's series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji," which includes the iconic print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," and Hiroshige's series "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido" are among the most famous ukiyo-e works from this period.
Ukiyo-e prints were produced using the woodblock printing technique, which allowed for mass production and affordability. They were widely circulated and enjoyed by people from different social classes. The prints were often sold in shops and distributed as illustrations in popular novels and poetry collections.
Overall, ukiyo-e art during the Edo period played a significant role in capturing and reflecting the cultural, social, and aesthetic sensibilities of the time. It continues to be highly regarded and influential in the world of art.
Two Students (7 and 8 years old)
(H929**)
Miura Jiroemon Kanetsune
(D677)
A young Passenger salutes the Poet-Monk Semimaru
(1837)
Fujikawa Mizuemon
(1942)
Kaki no Asago (obstinate like a morning glory on a fence)
(1941)
Teraoka Heiemon
(1960)
Mosos Prayer
(434)
Pictures of the Tokaido Road
(E251)
Jitsu wa Nekoishi no Kai
(F123)
Ôiso: Tora Gozen and Soga no Jûrô
(F127)
Narumi: Woman Doing Arimatsu Shibori Tie-dying
(F201)
Agematsu: Eda Genzô
(F299)
Kishû Nachisan ôdaki (The Great Waterfall at Mount Nachi in Kii)
(G206)
Shikamatsu Kanroku Yukishige
(D656)
Fujisawa
(2093)
Hahakigi
(2111)
Act V, Sadakuro counts the stolen Gold
(G540KD06)
Kyōto Tōfuku-ji Tsūten-(kyō)-bashi
(G606)
Mutsu Noda (The Noda Jewel River in Mutsu Province)
(H1041*)
Act V (Godanme)
(I007)
worldwide shipping
Sun-En Ôigawa (The Ôi River between Suruga and Tôtômi Provinces)
(I071)
Ronin leader, Yuranosuke gets a Message from his Son Rikiya
(I153)
Zen'aku kokoro no annai (The Good and Evil Influences)
(I002)
worldwide shipping
Shimadagahana sekiyō Fuji
(I373)
Taisekiji no sanchū no Fuji
(I357)
Surimono, Armour and Arrow
(I227)
Ryôgoku Bridge: Actors Onoe Kikugorô IV and Ichikawa Kodanji IV
(I426)
Kabuki Scene
(I431)
Sakabayashi Sadashichi
(I430)
worldwide shipping
Kawazu no Saburo Sukemichi defeating Matano Goro Kagehisa
(I419)