The decline of ukiyo-e was inevitable, despite an effort to revitalize traditional printmaking by the last great master of this genre, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 1839–1892). As the Tokugawa government opened the door to the west in the mid nineteenth century, Japanese artists started to favor Western art-making techniques over traditional ones, in some instances regarding woodblock printing as primitive in comparison. Normally, only the publisher and the artist would be credited for the prints, which would be produced in hundreds, if not thousands, of copies to be sold in markets.Īlthough ukiyo-e prints were extremely popular in the Edo Period, Japanese art connoisseurs often viewed them as mere mass-productions, not fine art. One block, called the key block, would be inked by the printer using sumi (墨 black ink ), with subsequent blocks each separately inked with color, water-based vegetable and mineral pigments-a block for each color. The production of ukiyo-e prints involved a team of artisans: A publisher would commission an artist to draw a design, which would then be transferred to multiple woodblocks by the carver. They featured beautiful women ( bijin-ga 美人画), Kabuki actors ( yakusha-e 役者絵), folk tales, and scenes of famous places ( meisho-e 名所絵). Ukiyo-e prints were produced in the Edo period as popular culture merchandise. This approach enabled artists to create images with vibrant colors, delicate contours, and smooth color gradients. Japanese printers used water-based inks, as opposed to the western oil-based ones. ![]() Although as the companion exhibition reveals, there is a long, deep history of the woodcut outside of Asia. Originating in China, Japanese moku-hanga printers exclusively used carved woodblocks instead of metal plates or lithographic stones prevalent in western printmaking. The technique of woodblock printing is known for its use in ukiyo-e (浮世絵), or “pictures of the floating world” in the Edo Period (1603–1868), but it was also used in book publishing. Woodblock printmaking, or moku-hanga (木版画,) has a history in Japan dating back to the seventeenth century. This companion presentation includes editions by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Kiyoshi Saito, and Takahashi Hiroaki (Shotei), among other Japanese artists working in the woodblock print medium over these two centuries. Presented in conjunction with the Gallery’s current exhibition Then & Now: Five Centuries of Woodcuts, this display of work from Vanderbilt University’s collection reveals the enduring influence of traditional woodblock motifs, such as ukiyo-e (pictures of the “floating world”) prints, while highlighting examples of more contemporary, artist-driven expressions of the form. Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery intern Echo Sun (class of 2020) has put together a vibrant presentation of Japanese woodblock prints from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, now on view in Cohen Memorial Hall. ![]() The Actor Ichikawa Kondaji IV as Torii Matasuke, 1860. Since nontoxic alternatives are a rapidly growing and ever-evolving landscape, this 2nd Edition presents products and practices that are accessible worldwide.Tsukioka Yoshitoshi ( Japanese, 1839–1892). Special attention is given to safe practices and health and safety. This new edition also has guidance on how to set up a print studio, sections on troubleshooting techniques and up-to-date lists of suppliers, workshops and galleries. For example, there is a new section on Japanese moku hanga woodblock printing while the more traditional techniques of relief, intaglio, collograph, lithography, screen printing and monoprint have also been refreshed. ![]() There are expanded chapters on digital and mixed media processes, as well as a brand new ‘Print & Make’ chapter, which explores creative expression within the many processes. ![]() This practical and comprehensive guide to printmaking techniques with clear step-by-step illustrations is an essential volume for beginner and experienced printmakers alike.Ī fully updated second edition containing new images throughout including examples of the latest work from contemporary printmakers.
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