Eight Views of the Living Room: Clock Striking in the Evening (detail), By Suzuki Harunobu, Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 10
September 27, 2016 (Tue) - October 23, 2016 (Sun)
The origins of ukiyo-e, which depicts common people of the Edo period (1603-1868), may be traced back to Japanese genre painting. Woodblock printing made mass production of ukiyo-e possible, while advances in carving and printing techniques allowed for the creation of multi-colored prints known as nishiki-e (brocade pictures). One major theme within ukiyo-e is female beauty, so much, in fact, that many equate ukiyo-e with depictions of beautiful women. On the other hand, in the late Edo period, landscapes were also created in large numbers, with prints by Hiroshige in particular becoming extremely popular. For this exhibition, we will display various depictions of beauties throughout the Edo period by artists such as Matsuno Chikanobu and Miyagawa Choshun, who produced only hand-painted works, as well as Kaigetsudo, Suzuki Harunobu, Kitagawa Utamaro, and Utagawa Kunisada. Landscape prints by Hiroshige will also be featured.
Current exhibit includes:
Eight Views of the Living Room: Clock Striking in the Evening, By Suzuki Harunobu, Edo period, 18th century
Woman Changing a Shamisen String, By Utagawa Kunimasa, Edo period, 18th century
Beauty Riding a Crane, By Miyagawa Choshun, Edo period, 18th century
Eight Scenes of Omi Province: Evening Glow at Seta, By Utagawa Hiroshige, Edo period, 19th century