Sunday 30 April 2017

Ukiyo-e "Pictures of the Floating World"- Kachō-ga (Flowers and Birds)

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk tales; travel scenes and landscapes; flora and fauna; and erotica. The term ukiyo-e (浮世絵 IPA: [u.ki.jo.e]) translates as "picture[s] of the floating world".

The Floating World culture developed in Yoshiwara, the licensed red-light district of Edo (modern Tokyo), which was the site of many brothels, chashitsu, and kabuki theaters frequented by Japan's growing middle class. ... The ukiyo culture also arose in other cities such as Osaka and Kyoto.

Ukiyo-e  has 6 sub genres, shunga is the primary genre of this site however lets not forget this fantastic genre of  "Flora / Fauna", capturing the beauty of Japan.

Several examples of birds and flowers and I have also incuded landscapes in this category as they all show the beauty of Japan.


The Great Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏 Kanagawa-oki nami ura, "Under a wave off Kanagawa"), also known as The Great Wave or simply The Wave, is a woodblock print by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa


Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji.[3] It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fine Wind, Clear Morning, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas.


Read more aboutUkiyo-e on the wiki page here 

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