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The life of Hokusai: Japan’s visionary artist of Ukiyo-e
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), one of Japan’s most celebrated artists, is best known for his iconic woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Constantly reinventing himself, Hokusai pursued artistic excellence well into his later years, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and influence artists worldwide.
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Kitagawa Utamaro, the Master of Ukiyo-e and his Pioneering Portraits of Edo
Utamaro, a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, is renowned for his exquisite woodblock prints. His masterful portrayal of bijin-ga, or images of beautiful women, captures the essence of the Floating World with unparalleled elegance.
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The Rise of Ukiyo-e – The Floating World
Ukiyo-e (‘pictures of the floating world’) is a branch of Japanese art which originated during the period of prosperity in Edo (1615-1868). Characteristic of this period, the prints are the collective work of an artist, an engraver, and a printer.
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The Art of Utamaro
The text below is the excerpt from the book Utamaro (ASIN: B016XN18LC), written by Edmond de Goncourt, published by Parkstone International. To leaf through albums of Japanese prints is truly to experience a new awakening, during which one is struck in particular by the splendour of Utamaro. His sumptuous plates seize the imagination through his love of women, whom he wraps so voluptuously in grand Japanese fabrics, in folds, contours, cascades and colours so finely chosen that the heart grows faint looking at them, imagining what exquisite thrills they represented for the artist. For women’s clothing reveals a nation’s concept of love, and this love itself is but a form of lofty thought crystallised…
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London and Edo: Godzilla meets Jack the Ripper
Are you a cat person or a dog person? Would you rather go to the sea or the mountain? Are you more of a city boy or a country gal? Those questions are not just from any psychology magazine your girlfriend brought back from the hair salon; they are choices that may define you and, incidentally, your environment. Since I haven’t caught up yet on this week’s trendiest kitties and puppies memes, let’s talk city instead. Before being Superman’s protégé, a metropolis was the “mother city” for Greek colonies, the city that sent out for settlers. Reach out then drag in: quite the same as our cities nowadays, isn’t it?…
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Shunga: Traditional Japanese Pornography
Manga? Yes Anime? Yes Shunga? Ummmm… That’s one that not many people have heard of. Literally translated as “picture of spring”, it is an age-old Japanese erotic art form usually printed on woodblock. A sub genre of ukiyo-e, Shunga (春画) reached its pinnacle in the Edo Period from 1603 to 1867 and survived repeated government attempts at suppression. However, before they were shunned their widespread use and availability was commonplace and endeavoured to depict everyday life in the Edo. Carried around as lucky charms by Samurais and merchants as well as being offered to newly-wed’s as a type of sex education; shunga was accepted and used by everyone, regardless of…
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