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.
Rōen no Fuji (Fuji with a Rocket)
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Orankai no Fuji (Fuji from Orankai)
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Matagi Fuji (Fuji Straddled)
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Kabuki Play
(I900)
In the Kusunoki Camp, Sugimoto Akiyuki Is Rewarded with a sword
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Three street artists dancing like reptiles
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Shintomi-za Sensation: Depiction of the Dance of the Geishas
(I696)
Kusatsu, Meibutsu tateba (Kusatsu: Famous Post House)
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At the foot of the Matsuchiyama
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Chushingura Meimei-den (individual stories of the treasury of lo
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Arashi Kichisaburo III as Benkei
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Sekiya (No. 16 Gatehouse)
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Toki Jurôzaemon Mitsuchika
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Poem by Minamoto no Kanemasa
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Raicho no Fuji (Fuji and Foreign Embassy)
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Part of the Same (Sono ni)
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Akasaka: Empress Kômyô
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Shimada: Shimada, Ôigawa Sungan
(I172)
Tora Gozen at Wada Yoshimori's Banquet
(I233-KD170)
Kagamiyama karasuba no dan, Hatsu-jo
(I456)
Kawazu no Saburo Sukemichi defeating Matano Goro Kagehisa
(I419)
Sakabayashi Sadashichi
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Kabuki Scene
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Ryôgoku Bridge: Actors Onoe Kikugorô IV and Ichikawa Kodanji IV
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Surimono, Armour and Arrow
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Taisekiji no sanchū no Fuji
(I357)
Shimadagahana sekiyō Fuji
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Zen'aku kokoro no annai (The Good and Evil Influences)
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Ronin leader, Yuranosuke gets a Message from his Son Rikiya
(I153)
Sun-En Ôigawa (The Ôi River between Suruga and Tôtômi Provinces)
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