Ukiyo-e

The term ukiyo-e in the original Japanese is written with three characters, which together mean "image of the floating world" or "image of the world in motion". This movement mainly involves two art mediums. The first of which is painting, which is more common yet less often associated with ukiyo-e. The second is print, often made using wood engravings. This movement brought many Japanese artists to the forefront of the art scene, the best known being Hokusai, Hiroshige, Harunobu and Eishi.

Ukiyo-e originated in Japan around 1670, during the Edo period (1603-1868). After centuries of political instability and civil wars, the country finally experienced a period of prosperity and the cities experienced an economic boom. The lords lost influence while the merchants saw their fortunes increase, and the world of art and culture experienced a profound change. It was in this context that printmaking techniques were born. Their inexpensive reproduction made them more accessible, and therefore very popular, with bourgeois merchants. And since they were the first customers, the subjects treated by ukiyo-e corresponded to the interests and daily activities of these merchants. For example, women and courtesans, eroticism, theatre, sumo, fantastic creatures, beautiful landscapes and famous places were commonly depicted. 

In Japan, ukiyo-e was long considered "vulgar" because it depicted commonplace themes. But when the country was forced to open up to trade with Europe, ukiyo-e became a very popular movement amongst Westerners. European collectors sought out these artworks, which heavily influenced the rest of the art world for many years. Ukiyo-e thus gave birth to “japonisme", the Western infatuation with Japanese art and design, and still continues to influence contemporary art to this day.