Unit 2 Japan & Ukiyo-e

Under the Wave Off Kanagawa is just one ukiyo-e print in a series of prints by Hokusai called:

36 Views of Mount Fuji

Under the Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai (1830-33) is commonly known as:

The Great Wave

_________________________________ was a prominent ukiyo-e artist of Edo Japan. He was born in the 18th century just outside modern-day Tokyo. He was fascinated by the movement of water and explored this subject in his art on many occasions throughout his career.

Hokusai

How did this image become so famous? In 1896, a tsunami hit northern Japan, and news of its destruction spread worldwide. It's been hypothesized that it was this event coupled with _____________________ , a French term that refers to the popularity and influence of Japanese art and design in western Europe in the nineteenth century following the forced reopening of trade of Japan in 1858.

Japonisme

A few years after Hokusai's death, his work was shown at the 1867 International Exposition in Paris. Japan quickly became all the rage in Europe. Ukiyo-e prints were collected and admired by many, including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and ____________________ , who painting the image above. These and other artists were heavily influenced by ukiyo-e depictions of city life, vivid colors and what was for them a flattening of space.

Mary Cassatt

______________________is the Kabuki theatrical technique being demonstrated in the ukiyo-e print (Links to an external site.)on the left. It could be argued that the waves in Hokusai's print are making that same gesture.

Mie

The focal point of this painting, nestled under under the wave in the distance is ________________________, which is considered sacred among followers of Shintoism, Buddhism, and other belief systems in Japan.

Mount Fuji

Hokosai's print reflects the influence of Japanese Rinpa School artists like Ogata and Korin, especially in the tentacle projections on his waves. But Western realism was creeping into Japanese art due to European engravings smuggled in by Dutch traders. Evidence of Western influence includes the use of linear perspective, a low horizon line, and the appearance of ______________________, a synthetic pigment very new to Japan. This vibrant blue paint was an invention made possible by the scientific revolution.

Prussian Blue

This interest in the sublime was also shared by 19th century ___________________ artists such as Théodore Géricault, Eugène Delacroix, and William Turner.

Romantic

How many of Hokosai's Mount Fuji prints were released throughout Japan? These prints were mostly sold as souvenirs by an emerging market of domestic tourists and those making pilgrimages to the mountain.

Thousands

The image above is a self-portrait by the Post-Impressionist artist, ___________________________. He was among many 19th century artists who were inspired by Japan's ukiyo-e tradition. Notice that he prominently features a ukiye-o print in the background of this painting.

Vincent van Gogh

Ukiyo-e is associated with the term __________________, which describes the ephemerality of the fads and fashions of Edo Japan.

floating world

____________________ is a genre of ukiyo-e prints known for their explicit erotic scenes. The term literally means "spring pictures."

shunga

__________________ is a term that describes the mass produced woodblock prints of Edo Japan. They are notable for their distillation of forms, emphasis on the pure color, and depictions of heonistic city life. This was not "high art" but rather images that were available to the growing middle class for about the cost of a bowl of noodle soup.

ukiyo-e