Mitate (Parody) of Ono no Tofu (Famous calligrapher of the Heian period) (detail), By Suzuki Harunobu, Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 10
June 7, 2016 (Tue) - July 10, 2016 (Sun)
The genre called ukiyo-e takes the common people of the Edo period (1603-1868) as its subject. In the early Edo period, ukiyo-e consisted only of hand-painted works. Later, mass production of ukiyo-e was made possible through woodblock printing. Improvements in woodblock carving and printing then led to the creation of brilliant multi-colored nishiki-e prints. This exhibition will begin with early monochrome prints by the artist Hishikawa Moronobu, entitled Scenes at Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters, followed by multicolored prints by other famous artists such as Suzuki Harunobu, Torii Kiyonaga, and Katsushika Hokusai. Works connected with the early summer, such as ones depicting irises, hydrangea, or rain showers, are also included to show the great variety found in ukiyo-e.
Current exhibit includes:
Mitate (Parody) of Ono no Tofu (Famous calligrapher of the Heian period), By Suzuki Harunobu, Edo period, 18th century
Beauties and Moored Boat, By Suzuki Harunobu, Edo period, 18th centur, (Important Art Object)
Horses in Pasture, By Katsushika Hokusai, Edo period, 19th century (Important Art Object)
Sheltering from Rain under Tree, By Kitagawa Utamaro, Edo period, 19th century