Joel Elgin. The Influence of the Development
of Paper/Woodblock Prints.
First thing to know is that paper was first developed in China around 105 A.D.
Originally uploaded by in Chinese Wikipedia.
It's a public domain image of a Ming dynasty woodcut, describing five major steps in ancient Chinese papermaking process
Papermaking spread to Japan shortly after. The earliest Japanese woodblock prints (around 1700) were called Ukiyo-e.
Ukiyo-e means “floating world picture.”
Ukiyo-e images were produced in black and white. The image carved into a wooden block, black ink rolled onto the raised surface, paper pressed into the ink.
Hairdressing, early eighteenth century.
Woodblock print, ôban,
15 in. x 10 in. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Ukiyo-e gradually embraced the public’s need for color.
The image was printed on paper in black, the key color, and then the sheet of paper was hand painted.
As color prints became even more popular around 1750, hand painting was considered to time consuming so the images were made from three printing blocks, printed one after another on the same sheet of paper. Green followed by red followed by black.
Kunichika Toyohara 1835-1900
Ginsa Geishas from the series "Tokyo Sanju Rokkaiseki," 36 famous restaurants and geishas 1871
Ink and color on paper 14 1/4 x 9 3/4 in. (36.2 x 24.8 cm)
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the State Art Museum of Florida, a division of Florida State University
To meet the increasing popularity and demand for the decoration of homes printmaking workshops were developed. Numerous artists worked in the shops by specific task: some carved, some printed one color, some printed another color.
Edo Period
Edo is the classical period of ukiyo-e and lasted from 1603 until the official end in 1868. The public craved prints based on entertainment. Images of Sumo and Kabuki theatre were produced in large numbers.
Katsukawa Shunsho Japanese; 1726-1792
Title The actors Segawa Kikunojo II as the wet nurse Reizei, Ichikawa Komazo I as Suruga no Hachiro in the guise of the shamisen player Kichiroku (right), and Ichikawa Yaozo II as Tada no Kurando in the guise of the palanquin bearer Kichinai
Woodblock print.; 32.6 x 15.2 cm
The Art Institute of Chicago, The Clarence Buckingham Collection
Katsukawa Shunshō
Sumo Wrestlers Uzugafuchi Kandayu and Sekinoto Hazchirojî and Referee Kimura Shôrosuke
late 18th Century
nishike-e color woodblock print 37.3 x 25.5 cm
Musée Guimet (Paris, France)
Meiji Period
Meiji was a period of great change in Japan. The Emperor was restored to power following the rule of the Shogunate. As doors opened to rest of the world a flood of influence affected printmaking. Inks from Germany changed the color palette and photography replaced printmaking as the dominant art form. As a result the popularity of printmaking … sunk.
Toyohara Kunichika, Japanese, 1835-1900;
Album of Thirty-Two Triptychs of Polychrome Woodblock Prints by Various Artists; Ichikawa Sadanji in "Keian Taiheiki"
Album of thirty-two triptychs of polychrome woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
H. 14 in. (35.6 cm); W. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Eliot C. Nolen, 1999
Toyohara Chikanobu, Japanese, 1838-1912; Publisher: Edogawa Saemon(?)
Picture of a Concert of European Music; Ôshû Kangengaku Gassô no zu
Triptych of polychrome woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
14 1/2 x 29 in. (36.8 x 73.7cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The
popularity of printmaking … sunk… what an awful way to end the week. Don’t be
too blue though- stay tuned to the next post where printmaking will rise again!
