Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e

It is said that the beginning of the ukiyo-e, the Japanese art of woodblock printings, is the pictures of Kyoto people’s living in late 16th century. After that, the themes of ukiyo-e expanded to popular kabuki actors, beautiful women and landscapes. “Ukiyo” (浮世)means contemporary with hedonisitic and fleeting idea, so ukiyo-e translated as picture of floating world. The origin of ukiyoe was Yamato-e (大和絵, traditional Japanese painting) but drew the line from the field of China art including Kanō School (狩野派). The ukiyo-e artist made the artworks for not the warrior (samurai) class but the ordinary middle class citizens.

Artists