The Influence of Art in Edo Japan

                         The Influence of Art in Edo Japan


The Edo-period in Japan spanned hundreds of years, lasting from 1603 all the way to 1868. Ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate, It's known as an era off stability and security as this period brought peace after many centuries of war prior. Due to the political stability and economic growth this led to a flourishing of the arts through the merging of urban culture, and artistic innovation. The works I selected show the product of this period and the influence it made on the world. 

                                                            Hishikawa Moronobu | Tanya's Space

Hishikawa Moronobu's "Beauty Looking Back" (c.1700) is a ink and color on silk painting, approximately 63 x 30 cm. To give some background on Hishikawa and the painting, it depicts a woman glancing over her shoulder. One aspect that appeals to me when I view this are the graceful lines and colors used which gives off a sense of refinement and femininity. Hishikawa is known to be one the first master and one of the founding fathers of a genre of woodblocking printing, known as ukiyo-e and is work showed insights into theatre and street-life during the edo-period. 

                                                 Katsushika Hokusai | Under the Wave off ...

"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" (c.1831) is a 10.1 x 14.9 in, ukiyo-e style painting. In this painting, you can see massive waves about to crash onto some small boats off the coast of Kanagawa (a region near Tokyo). Mount Fuji is seen in the background. Created by Katsushika Hokusai, this iconic painting is regarded as the peak of ukiyo-e style painting. I'm sure you've seen this painting at least once in your life. What appeals to most in this is the contrast between the gigantic waves and the smaller boats. Using forshortening technique, it creates the idea of movement within the wave. Through perspective, even Mount Fuji looks small in comparison, symbolizing the sheer power and unforgivingness of nature. 
    
                                                            Night View of Saruwaka-machi, Utagawa Hiroshige; Publisher: Sakanaya Eikichi | Mia

For my last example, I've chosen "Night View of Saruwaka-machi" (1856) 36 x 24 cm, by Utagawa Hiroshige. This work shows a busy street, full of people, during the night, in which the full moon is on display. What appeals to me are the orange lanterns illuminating the surrounding buildings and people, an excellent use of light and shadow. Hiroshige was known for his use of colors and as you can see, especially in this piece, what stands out is the deep blue in place for the late night sky, whic pairs well with the bright, moon just above the cloud. Though the use of color, perspective, light, and shadow, his work stands out and shows how he's mastered the craft of ukiyo-e style.
       



Sources:








Comments

  1. Wanzetta MorningMay 3, 2025 at 6:44 PM

    I really enjoyed how you highlighted the visual qualities of each artwork, especially in “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” The contrast you described between the massive wave and the tiny boats captures the emotional tension of the piece and really brought it to life. I was also drawn to your observations about light and color in “Night View of Saruwaka-machi”—the way you described the glow of the lanterns made me visualize the scene vividly. One suggestion would be to clarify a few sentence structures (like in the introduction), just to make the narrative flow more smoothly.

    Your blog clearly connected these works to the overarching theme of cultural growth during Edo Japan. Each piece reflects how art thrived in this peaceful, urbanized society. I appreciated how you tied in the evolution of the ukiyo-e style and explained how the artists not only documented but also elevated everyday life and nature, which aligns perfectly with the theme of flourishing art under stability.
    One detail you could explore further is the influence of these works on global art. For example, Hokusai’s wave had a significant impact on Western Impressionists like Monet and Van Gogh, helping spark Japonisme in 19th-century Europe. That global ripple effect (pun intended!) could add an interesting layer to the discussion of Edo-period influence. I also found it fascinating that Hiroshige’s urban scenes inspired later cityscapes in modern graphic design.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teaching you how to make a blog

Image
 Hello readers, My name is Jasper Carpenter. I'm from Anchorage, Alaska and have been living here for my whole life. I'm 20 years old and currently a sophomore at UAF. I'm looking to pursue a career in criminal justice in the future. A few hobbies I like to do in my free time include hiking, reading, and playing basketball at the local gyms. As for my relationship with art, I'd consider myself very inexperienced. In elementary school whenever we had free time during class I'd find myself drawing with whatever supplies the school had to offer. I liked to draw characters from shows I watched growing up, such as cartoon characters like Perry the Platypus or perhaps my favorite super heroes like Iron Man or The Flash. As. I grew older and busier, I found myself drawn away from art unless it was part of a class assignment.                                               ...
Read more

The Vietnam War through Art

Image
                                           The Vietnam War through Art The Vietnam War, commonly called the American War as well as the Second Indochina War, was a war that spanned nearly twenty years, starting from November 1st, 1955, and lasted all the way up to April 30th, 1975.  This war had a great influence on those involved in the war and outside and was able to be reflected through artists that were involved during this period. To help illustrate this for you, here are some examples I chose.: Martha Rosler is an American artist, born in New York City, New York, in 1943. This first painting is entitled,  Cleaning the Drapes.  It featured in Martha Rosler's series of photomontages called  House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home   (c. 1967–72). I thought the contrast of the black and white photo behind the color curtains was inter...
Read more

Classical Blog Exhibit

Image
 Art and Scientific Discovery in the 1700's With all the topics to choose from, I chose to base this assignment around the theme of Art and Scientific Discovery in the 1700's . I am choosing to go with art that was influenced by the free-thinking people of the 18th century who were influenced by the enlightenment. Painting 1. For the first piece of art, I chose "An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump." This art piece was created by Joseph Wright of Derby in 1768. It depicts a person conducting an experiment on a bird in front of an audience. As you gaze from left to right at the painting you can see a man and woman looking at each other. They may be confused on if the experiment will work out or not. On the right side of the painting, you see a man looking at a woman who has turned her head away from the bird, as if she is upset. There is also a young girl shown in between the man and women on the right who is looking up but seems hesitant and fearful for the bird. Y...
Read more