What is 'beauty painting', one of the three main themes of Ukiyo-e? Let's introduce the artist who painted it!
1)
Ukiyo-e is popular not only in Japan but also overseas. Its unique style, bold composition, beautiful scenery, and other elements always attract viewers.
The three main themes of Ukiyo-e are "beauty painting," "actor painting," and "landscape painting." This time, we will introduce "beauty painting," which depicts women and reflects the fashion and trends of the time, lifestyle and customs, etc., and is valuable as a document of manners and customs.
2)
Nobody can beat him when it comes to depicting courtesans! Utamaro, who painted sensual beauties:
When you hear the term 'beauty painting,' the first person who comes to mind is probably Kitagawa Utamaro. Until then, Ukiyo-e had depicted a woman's whole body, but Utamaro boldly adopted the composition of the "large neck painting" used in actor paintings and boldly painted only the bust of a woman.
This print is said to have been made by Tsutaya Juzaburo, who grew up in Yoshiwara and became a publisher.
Tsutaya Juzaburo, who had connections with the brothels of Yoshiwara, had Utamaro draw popular courtesans, which became a big hit.
3)
It also played a similar role to what we would call a bromide print today. It was popular as a souvenir for men who enjoyed themselves in Yoshiwara and for women and tourists from the countryside who came to visit.
Utamaro's attention to detail, such as the delicate and fragile expressions, each strand of tied hair, and the intricate patterns on the kimono, make this a beautiful portrait that even women can be captivated by.
4)
Although Utamaro's birth year is unclear, he is said to have honed his skills under a Kano school pupil. At first, he drew illustrations for the venerable Nishimuraya publishing house.
Still, his work went unnoticed until Tsutaju discovered him and published the beautifully coloured illustrations for Kyoka picture books that made his name.
Utamaro's sensibility blossomed as Tsutaju introduced him to the intellectuals and brothel owners who frequented Yoshiwara. He also interacted with prostitutes. His beautiful, delicate, and sumptuous portraits of beautiful women captured the hearts of many.
5)
As an artist of samurai origin, Chobunsai Eishi left many high-quality Ukiyo-e prints:
Utamaro's rival was Chobunsai Eishi, a samurai turned artist. As a member of a samurai family, he was well educated, and his Ukiyo-e prints were characterised by their elegance, using classics such as 'The Tale of Genji', 'The Tales of Ise' and waka poetry as subjects, and painting portraits of beautiful women of high-class prostitutes.
He also had artistic talent, having studied at the Kano school. In his later years, he concentrated on prints and hand-painted paintings, leaving many masterpieces behind.
Many of his clients were wealthy, such as feudal lords, and he produced masterpieces using a generous amount of expensive art materials.
Although he was the opposite of Utamaro, who captured the hearts of the masses and took the world by storm with his paintings of Yoshiwara prostitutes, they probably influenced each other.
6)
His father, Hishikawa Moronobu, painted the beauties that everyone has seen:
The father of beauties is Hishikawa Moronobu. His painting, 'Looking Back at Beauty,' is a masterpiece everyone has seen at least once and is featured on postage stamps and textbooks.
It succinctly depicts the trends of the time, such as how the hair is tied, the way the obi is tied, and the kimono pattern.
Moronobu's father was a gold-leaf craftsman, and Moronobu took over the family business for a while. He was also known for his detailed depictions of kimono patterns.
7)
Suzuki Harunobu took the world by storm with his colourful Nishikie (Japanese woodblock prints) of beautiful women:
In the early Edo period, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints were all ink, but They appeared as a single added colour, red or blue. Multi-colour prints were developed, and about 30 years after Moronobu's death, the colourful Ukiyo-e we see today, called "Nishikie," appeared. Suzuki Harunobu was at the centre of this movement.
He is said to have studied under the Kyoto Ukiyo-e artist Nishikawa Yusuke. He became popular for his delicate, pretty women with slim faces and friendly expressions.
In particular, the Ukiyo-e 'Under Umbrella in the Snow', in which a man and a woman in white and black kimonos are walking through the snow, is a memorable Ukiyo-e with the melancholy expressions of the man and the woman reminiscent of a double suicide.
Harunobu's beauty has a realistic background and illustrates women's lives well.
8)
There are more! Artists who painted beauties that were called the flower of Edo:
Torii Kiyonaga, the leading Ukiyo-e artist of the Torii school, inherited Harunobu's touch and painted more sophisticated women.
He developed his talent under the influence of Kitao Shigemasa, Isoda Koryusai, who was active during the An'ei period, and Katsukawa Shunsho, who is said to have been Hokusai's master.
Kiyonaga is said to have lived during the Tenmei period. He painted "tall beauties with full cheeks and big ears," which he called Kiyonaga beauties. Kiyonaga also significantly influenced Utamaro.
9)
After Utamaro, other Ukiyo-e artists who painted beauties were Keisai Eisen, Utagawa Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi. These artists were representative of the late Edo period.
While they painted fierce Ukiyo-e, such as actor and warrior prints, they also painted delicate beauties. This shows how talented and skilled the artists were at that time.
10)
Beautiful Women prints were a model of beauty for women:
As I wrote at the beginning, beautiful women's paintings were not just attractive women but Ukiyo-e, symbolising Edo fashion. Like today's idols and Instagrammers, they were also at the centre of trends.
As the saying goes, "If you want to know about Edo fashion, look at beautiful women's prints." Beautiful women's prints were also a model for women's fashion.
11)
Beautiful women are a common theme in the art world. Still, Each artist's originality and colour strongly influence Ukiyo-e paintings, and the atmosphere changes greatly depending on the era.
Comparing the changes in such beautiful women's prints is one of the joys of Ukiyo-e.
What is 'beauty painting', one of the three main themes of Ukiyo-e? Let's introduce the artist who painted it!
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