Extended Diploma in art and design 2014 : Japanese Prints

The art of woodcut originated not in Japan but in China in the 8th century. The Chinese invented a type of woodblock printing six centuries before it was used in the West.

The Chinese used printing in order to spread holy images throughout the vast empire. As Buddhism spread across the Far East, Korea and Japan started the development of printing. Japanese printmaking originated in the Edo region of Japan, now known as Tokyo. Edo is also the Historic period between 1603 and 1868. Japan was ruled by the military leaders called shoguns. They came from a family called Tokugawa. Although only Samurai could afford to commission art, the new middle-class could buy woodblock prints without text. These were cheap to buy because they were produce in multiple editions.

Utamaro Kitagawa

Japan continued to develop printing techniques. The original process involved four different artists.First the publisher chose the subject.
Then a painter produced a design in India Ink on mulberry paper. The drawing was then glued to a block of cherry wood leaving the compositor in relief. After inking the block. It was then pressed onto paper using a hemp pad. The result was a black and white print which then was painted in colour by hand.

Ukiyo-e was the most popular style in Japanese art. Ukiyo-e means 'Pictures of the floating world'.
The subject consisted of scenes of harmony, everyday living, historical events and landscapes.

One of the first major artists of Ukiyo-e was Hishikawa Moronobu. In 1660 he began to publish signed images of wood block prints without text which made it accessible to the middle-class. His prints were the first true style of ukiyo-e. He used a strong linear style and his work influenced artists for the next two hundred years.

Hishikawa Moronobu

Suzuki Harunobu introduced the full colour print around 1706 . This required a block for each colour which was printed on the same paper using an alignment mechanism. He used many special techniques and his subjects varied from classical poems to contemporary beauties. He also produced a number of erotic images.

Suzuki Harunobu - Snow (Yuki) from the series Elegant snow,moon.

Hokusai Katsushika created the well known woodblock print series 'Thirty six views of Mount Fuji' which includes the internationally recognised 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'. This series made him famous both in Japan and overseas.

Hokusai-The great wave off Kanagawa

Hokusai-Waterfall

Utagawa Hiroshige produced thousands of compositions which included everyday scenes of city life and serene landscapes.
Hiroshige was an artist who influenced the Impressionist painters. Wood block prints started arriving in the West when Japan opened its harbours to merchant ships in 1854.
Van Gogh was excited by Hiroshige's shocking and non-western composition. He used Hiroshige's prints as a source of inspiration. Van Gogh copied two of his prints from the series 'One Hundred Views of Edo'. These were the Blossom in a Plum Orchard and a Sudden Shower on Howashi Bridge. Artists who were inspired by Hiroshige's work were Manet, Degas and Monet to mention just a few..