Ukiyo-e (Floating World)
1680–1880Japanese woodblock prints — the 'pictures of the floating world.' A mass-produced art form with some of the most sophisticated color printing in pre-modern history.
Woodblock printing with water-based pigments on handmade washi paper. Each color requires a separate carved block, printed in sequence. Registration marks ensure perfect alignment.
Katsushika Hokusai
1760–1849Japanese
The old man mad about painting. Hokusai's Great Wave and 36 Views of Mount Fuji are among the most recognized images in world art.
Hokusai exploited the newly imported Prussian blue (bero-ai) to revolutionary effect. Before this pigment reached Japan around 1830, Japanese prints relied on vegetable blues that faded rapidly.
Pigments: Prussian blue · Vermilion · Red lead
Utagawa Hiroshige
1797–1858Japanese
The master of rain, snow, and atmosphere. Hiroshige's landscape prints capture weather and time of day with a subtlety that influenced the Impressionists.
Hiroshige's genius is in the bokashi — graduated color printing. His rain, mist, and twilight effects use multiple passes of diluted pigment to create atmospheric depth.
Pigments: Prussian blue
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