Ukiyo-e is a traditional art style that originated in Japan, around the 12th century. It evolved into a tradition of woodblock prints. It has since become something distinctly Japanese and a large part of Japan’s cultural heritage. By then end of Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868) the West was getting its first taste of Japanese visual art, on a larger scale, from woodblock prints. The Ukiyo-e style would eventually inspire some aspects of Western styles such as Art Nouveau, Impressionism and Modernism. Ukiyo-e comes from two words meaning sadness and life. This represents a Buddhist understanding of life, death and rebirth. The following pieces are all works from the Edo period when print making was becoming more refined as well as the art form. The Edo period is a time when the country was segregated by a class system that put warriors at the top. It was a peaceful time with a rising middle class that had an appetite for Ukiyo-e art. The majority of the Edo period was also a time when Japan had severed all its Western ties and became a hermit nation to the West. Most depictions during this time on considered distinctly Japanese (Seiferle).
Under the Wave off Kanagawa 1830-1832 by Katsuhika Hokusai
Under the Wave off Kanagawa is perhaps one of the most famous if not the most famous piece of Japanese art to the Western world. It was printed between 1830 and 1832 by Katsushika Hokusai in Japan. Thousands of copies of Under the Wave off Kanagawa were printed on 10×14 inch sheets of paper very quickly, and some made it all the way to Europe during Japan’s isolationist Edo period (Harris).
The print depicts Mount Fuji in the background. The mountain is too big to be obscured by the enormous waves. Fishing boats are under the crests of the waves, leaving the viewer in suspense at what may happen to the boats. The waves appear extremely aggressive. The sharpness of the lines at the edges of the waves curl down like hundreds of claws grasping at the boats. The mountains is almost directly centered in the print. It gives perspective to both the waves and the mountain. They also contrast each other because Mt. Fuji is the only static part of the painting while the rest is filled with undulating movement. One thing I find unique about Japanese woodblock prints, which work great for this print, are the sharp lines. The sharpness of the curls of the wave somehow, terrifying to me.
Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter 1843-1847 by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter was printed between 1843 and 1847 by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in Japan. The print depicts a Japanese legend where Princess Takiyasha is granted magical abilities from a man who lives on a mountain. The skeleton is a result of her ability to summon spirits. It is believed that Kuniyoshi owned a copy of a book that contained Western medical drawing and this is how he copied a detailed human skeleton (Fuji Arts).
This is a haunting print. The overwhelming figure of the ghost/demon takes up two-thirds of the triptych print. The uniqueness of this print comes from the Western influence (Fuji Arts). It is almost a clash in styles but it works for this print because the Western depiction is also the object that is being depicted as from another world. The anatomically correct skeleton is exceptional because similar depictions do not appear in other Ukiyo-e works. Kuniyoshi plays with space in this print. The typical parts of the print, like the left and bottom middle, use the grains in the floor to give us a sense of space. It looks as though if the three human figures are in a room but the spirit looks as if it is peeling down an opening and ripping a whole in reality and emerging from a black void. The ambiguity of exactly where the spirit is coming from adds to the suspense. This is a mid-action scene. One of the men is pinning the other man’s sword down while he holds his scabbard over the other man’s neck. The is a hole in the room where I speculate the men busted in from. While all this is happening, the spirit emerges. I am not familiar enough with the story the print is based on, but the woman is summoning the spirit to stop or finish the fight. The texture around the hole from where the spirit is emerging reminds me of cobwebs or something out-worldly and altogether creepy. The black void makes the skeletal figure pop from the print, making it the primary focal point. This print tells a story very well, even if you aren’t familiar with the folk tale, I can still see it.
One of my favorite heroes and legends from Japan is Miyamoto Musashi. I love all depictions of Musashi because many of them demonstrate his skill as a warrior Ronan. Miyamoto Musashi Fights Sasaki Ganryû was printed 1843 to 1847 by Utagawa Yoshitora. The glaring centerpiece of this print is Musashi flying through the air with his trademark, duel katanas. This print uses idyllic placement of the crowd, the landscape and Musashi’s apposing samurai. What stands out to me is that Yoshitora painted Musashi’s robe as the same color of the sunset or sunrise. It is distracting because it splits my eyes on the sunset and Musashi but it also grants him some kind of deified status. It is as if his skill is superhuman, supernatural or if it is a symbol of his triumph in the fight and the demise of his opponent. I can’t help but notice the similarities between this depiction of combat and older video games from Japan. The composition of the landscape and the crowd surrounding the two fighters, is remarkably similar to older Japanese fighting games from the early 90s (MFAB).
Works Cited
“At Ganryûjima in Kyûshû, Miyamoto Musashi Fights Sasaki Ganryû (Kyûshû Ganryûjima Ni Oite Miyamoto Musashi Sasaki Ganryû Shiai Zu).” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 22 Dec. 2018, www.mfa.org/collections/object/at-ganryûjima-in-kyûshû-miyamoto-musashi-fights-sasaki-ganryû-kyûshû-ganryûjima-ni-oite-miyamoto-musashi-sasaki-ganryû-shiai-zu-472339.
Harris, Leila. “Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/south-east-se-asia/japan-art/a/hokusai-under-the-wave-off-kanagawa-the-great-wave.
“Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Specter Invoked by Princess Takiyasha.” Fuji Arts Japanese Prints – Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Specter Invoked by Princess Takiyasha by Kuniyoshi (1797 – 1861), Fuji Arts, www.fujiarts.com/cgi-bin/item.pl?item=741304.
Seiferle, rebecca. “Ukiyo-e – Concepts & Styles.” The Art Story, The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-ukiyo-e-japanese-woodblock-prints-history-and-concepts.htm#beginnings_header.
Steven's Art Blog 
I generally do not consider myself especially knowledgeable about Japanese art, but I certain did recognize Under The Wave Off Kanagawa while reading your post! I did not realize that this piece was a wood carving; that gives me even more respect for the artist, as wood carvings are notoriously difficult to produce. Regarding the elements of the work, what struck me as interesting, as you pointed out, was the sharpness of all of the lines, even when they are curved. In a significant amount of Western art, there is an inverse relationship between a line’s curvature and its hardness, even though this work shows that breaking this relationship need not detract from the realism of the scene.
Although I had “noticed” it before, I had not internalized the sharp edges on the wave’s tips until I read your analysis. To me, they almost look like claws or blades, which is fitting for the havoc that they will soon inflict on the boats. It seems to add an element of personification to the waves, even though it is not very explicit.
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