Modern Art & Japanese Woodcut Prints
From Manet to Van Gogh, the influence of Japanese ukiyo-e prints on European art
Japanese woodblock prints had a unique appeal for a generation of 19th European artists. Attracted by the bright colours and clear forms, vivid contrasts and asymmetrical compositions, artists like Van Gogh, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec were keen collectors of this imported art form.
The name given to this style of print is ukiyo-e, which in translation approximates to “pictures of the floating world”. The term ‘floating’ here is used in the Buddhist sense, of something fleeting or transient; the subjects were of popular forms of recreation in Japan, from Sumo wrestling to pleasure gardens, theatre, dancing, and history, and no shortage of erotica too.
To the urban classes of Japan, the appeal of ukiyo-e prints were undoubtedly in their reflection of Japanese entertainments and city-based culture. As mass-produced items, woodblock prints could be made at low-cost and adapt to the changing fashions in Japanese society. Representations of famous beauty spots were also in demand, as Japanese travellers traversed their country and sought…
