Ukiyo-e and Fashion in the Edo Period: Ukiyo-e
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Fashions of Foppish Men: Shirai Gonpachi, By Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Edo period, 19th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 10
August 7, 2012 (Tue) - September 2, 2012 (Sun)On the theme of summer, all the woodblock prints in this exhibition are uchiwa-e (prints for a round fan), while the paintings feature beautiful women holding the same type of fans. Many uchiwa-e were created by popular artists during the final decades of the Tokugawa shogunate in the 19th century. However, as they were consumer goods that were pasted onto fans, few of them have survived to the present. The prints on display are all excellent works that show exquisite carving and printing techniques. As such, they ably demonstrate the characteristics of ukiyo-e (depictions of everyday life in the Edo period) as an art form of woodblock printing. The works in this exhibition feature the respective fortes of their creators, who include Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Toyokuni III, and Utagawa Hiroshige.
Exhibit includes:
Beauty in Summer Make-up, By Gion Seitoku, Edo period, 19th century
Fashions of Foppish Men: Shirai Gonpachi, By Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Edo period, 19th century
Tailored Weaves: Benkei's Style, By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III), Edo period, 18th century