[su_label type=”success”]The beginning of ukiyo-e art style[/su_label]

Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The person who is supposed to be the origin of ukiyo-e is ,in early Edo Period, the woodblock prints artist Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛). It is said that he was the son of samurai warrior, but it is not known what kind of person was.

Also, it was Hishikawa Moronobu (菱川師宣) in the middle of the Edo period that introduced woodcut prints. It made the ukiyo-e artists and the publishers offer pictures to a wide range of people.

Until then, the name of artists did not appear on the work, but he distinguished his name clearly. After that the Japanese woodblock artists followed the way.

In the early, ukiyo-e had just single color printings, “sumizuri-e“（墨摺り絵） until the middle of 17th century. And on the next the stage, it bacame to be put on them color by brushes and called “tan-e” (丹絵). Tan meant lead oxide used mainly for the single color woodblock printings.

In Kyoho Period(1716-1736), redcrimson (紅) or lacquer took the place of lead oxide. It was the term of “beni-e” (紅絵) and “urushi-e” (漆絵).

The coloring tecnique was introduced to woodblock making in 1744. The ukiyo-e industry began to publish the two colors, redcrimson and grass green, printings called “benizuri-e” (紅摺り絵).

[/su_animate]