Master Ukiyo-E Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Kitagawa Utamaro, a master of portraying beautiful women in the pleasure quarters of Edo (modern Tokyo), was a significant contributor to the ukiyo-e arts and was a great influence to future artists such as Monet, van Gogh and Gauguin. The author points out that Kitagawa Utamaro's artwork flourished under the highly restrictive and moralistic Tokugawa government; nonetheless, his wood block prints were highly regarded. The paper relates that ukiyo-e artists always concerned themselves with pictorial themes, which emphasize the popular, the familiar or the erotic, at times exceeding the limits of morality.

From the Paper:

"Financial security took on the form of a national market economy as well. The Tokugawa government implemented a widespread and lasting expansion of domestic commerce and manufacturing that heavily relied on money and credit, "This monetization of the economy made possible nation-wide transactions of a long-term nature, and caused the disappearance of barter and sporadic fairs." The social and political stability helped with the development of trade and credit facilities in Nagasaki, Kyoto, Osaka and Edo. Under Tokugawa rule, the townspeople enjoyed more opportunities and greater security in these places than in the average castletown. Due to these developments, more people were able to engage in trade and there was a creation of occupational skills, pride and integrity."

More papers on Master Ukiyo-E Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro:

• Essay # 43414 : "Hishikawa Moronobu and the Ukiyo-e School"
• Essay # 60102 : "The Bloody Yoshitoshi Prints"
• Descriptive Essay # 119066 : "Artist Mike Kelley"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: