| |
Culture
>>
travel
>>
japan
>>
japanese art
>>
ukiyo e
Ukiyo E
Ukiyo-e was a popular genre of Japanese art between the 17th and the 20th centuries. Ukiyo-e translates literally as "pictures of the floating world". It offers a glimpse at a vanished world of fleeting humanity and beauty. Ukiyo-e focused on the ethereal worlds of kabuki entertainers, high class prostitutes and geisha, samurai and Japanese mythology. Sexuality was another common theme. Shunga (spring pictures) were produced by many of the great masters of Ukiyo-e. Shunga were explictly sexual and explored a wide range of fetishes.
Ukiyo-e often took the form of wood block prints that were mass produced. In the Edo-era printing technology made great advances at the same time that quality paper became cheaper. These factors made art accessible to the Japanese masses for the first time. Ukiyo-e artists played to the masses and topics were selected for their entertainment value. They continue to have popular appeal today and are in demand with collectors around the world.
Ukiyo E
If you enjoyed this article please link it. Permalink:
http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/new/ukiyo-e
|
