Japan, The Arts, and Ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e is a type of art that was popular in Japan between the 17th and 19th centuries. To sum it up Britannica gave us the quote, "The style is a mixture of the realistic narrative of the emaki (“picture scrolls”) produced in the Kamakura period and the mature decorative style of the Momoyama and Tokugawa periods. " (Britannica, 2024). It also appears that this style of art was made on wooden blocks.
The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai
Made around 1831, this piece is iconic for many of the art that is printed today and sold as Japanese Art. This is only one piece to a three-piece series called "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fiji". Made in Japan, this piece was made to encapsulate a chaotic forefront but with a background of the serenity and peace of Mount Fiji in the back (V&A, 2020)
I remember seeing this piece throughout my childhood in my grandpa's house. So this art specifically gives me 2008 nostalgia. It seems to have much chaos, the wave building so high and is ready to swallow the two boats below at any moment. But when you look a little closer, no one is in the boats, so they are abandoned? Maybe the people already went overboard? But before you can try to come up with the answer the space in the waves seems to bring focus to Mount Fiji, implying peace after the storm.
Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre, Utagawa Kuniyoshi
This piece seems a bit chaotic, even more than the last one, so let's break it down. Made in 1844, this piece has one big part to it, the skeleton. It seems to be representing a battle between the skeleton and the warriors. While the Witch behind the Warriors seems to be reading a scroll of some kind. While unwrapping the scroll, the witch is looking down at something, it is hard to tell from the picture but I believe it is a fellow warrior's head underneath a hat of some kind. Falling to the wrath of the skeleton.
This piece gives a bit of supernatural to the overall representation. It seems as if the witch is actually trying to read a scroll to try to stop the skeleton from hurting or fighting her soldiers anymore. However, maybe I have just been reading into this piece a bit too long, but I almost have a feeling of the witch not trying to move as quick as she can, like she is trying to stall, did she summon the skeleton in the first place?
The Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Omezo I in the drama Shibaraku, Utagawa Toyokuni
Made in 1819, this is a bit of a more lighthearted piece, not symbolizing war or horror, but the art of drama and someone capturing that into a piece of Ukiyo-e. The man seems to be disgruntled while decked all out in Japanese attire. Which may be royal or Warrior uniforms. But the man seems to be giving his all in his face, and his body. Putting his heart and soul into the play.
I am not going to lie while researching, this made me stop and give a bit of a giggle. His face is contorted in such a way it almost seems silly. But when you read the title and understand this is a sort of portrait, while someone is making art of someone else's art form, it is quite impressive how art can be captured through art and so on. Overall, a very intriguing piece, and quite different from the others I have seen.
Works Cited
“Japanese Woodblock Prints (Ukiyo-e) · V&A.” Victoria and Albert Museum, www.vam.ac.uk/articles/japanese-woodblock-prints-ukiyo-e. Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.
“Ukiyo-e.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 2 July 2024, www.britannica.com/art/ukiyo-e.
Hi Penelope, I chose your blog and random to comment on and my topic was also Ukiyo-e!! I also chose Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre AND The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa too! I chose Japan as my country because I hadn't covered much art from the country and wanted to learn more, is that why you chose it too? My favorite of the three you chose is Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre, its based on a 12th century story where the woman on the left is a princess using dark magic to conjure the spectral skeleton we see to kill the man on the right, who is her uncle that supposedly beheaded her father. Not only is the story interesting, but it made me realize how I've seen references to spectral skeletons in other pieces of Japanese pop culture. Off the top of my head I can think of two: the Susanoo's in the anime Naruto and the Giant Skeleton Spirits from Elden Ring (yes I am a nerd). Its so cool to learn more about the origins of things I've been surrounded by!
ReplyDeleteHello Penelope,
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool theme! I actually had a tapestry of "The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa" about 10 years ago. I have no idea where it went but I have always liked this piece and the questions it creates. "Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre" is my favorite of your three pieces, I am glad Mariah has left some details of what is going on in this piece to clear it up. I had to look up the wood block print as I was unsure of what you were referring to, what a cool style of creating art. Thanks for sharing these, Penelope!