Kintaro, By Katsukawa Shun'ei, Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 10
April 17, 2012 (Tue) - May 13, 2012 (Sun)
Ukiyo-e, or depictions of everyday life in the Edo period (1603-1868), initially developed in the early Edo period as paintings by artists. After this, woodblock printing developed to enable the mass production of ukiyo-e, and innovative carving and printing techniques led to the accomplishment of multicolored nishiki-e prints. This exhibition begins with Woman Looking Out through the Rope Curtain, an Important Cultural Property that represents an early stage in the development of ukiyo-e of beautiful women. The exhibition then focuses on works featuring wisteria as well as prints on the theme of the Boys' Festival (May 5), such as Kitagawa Utamaro's depictions of Kintaro, the incredibly strong child. Prints of sumo wrestlers and other figures are also on display.
Exhibit includes:
Woman Looking Out through the Rope Curtain, Artist unknown, Edo period, 17th century (Important Cultural Property, Private collection)
Kintaro, By Katsukawa Shun'ei, Edo period, 18th century
Scenes of Twelve Months by Toyokuni and Toyohiro: May, By Utagawa Toyokuni, Edo period, dated 1801