What are Ukiyo-e Prints?

                                 By Jim Hingst 

The Great Wave off Kanagawa
by Japanese artist Hokusai c. 1830.
(Public domain, via Wikimedia
Commons, PD-1923.)

The genre of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints had its beginnings in the 17th century, during what is called the Edo Period. Edo was the name of the Japan’s capital city, during the reign of the Tokugawa shoguns beginning in c. 1603. When the rule of these warlords ended in 1868, the city was renamed Tokyo.

During the feudal Edo period, Japanese society was highly structured, with the population being divided into different classes. At the top, were the aristocrats and  warriors. Below them were the farmers and the artisans. Right at the bottom were the merchants, even though they were some of the wealthiest people in the country. In many cases, they were even wealthier than many of the samurai.

It was for the merchant class that the low brow art of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints were developed. Because these prints were mass produced, they quickly gained popularity in Japanese society. Originally the themes for the Ukiyo-e prints dealt with scenes of the “floating world”, which referred to the section of the Edo devoted to pleasure and entertainment. Pictures of geisha girls, courtesans and the kabuki theater were common.

As the popularity of the Ukiyo-e woodblock prints grew, so did its range of suitable subject matter. Later prints also depicted landscapes, historical events and Japanese myth.  Explicit scenes of an erotic nature were also very popular.

When the first Ukiyo-e woodblock prints were produced at the beginning of the 17th century, designs were limited to black outlines. In the early 18th century, color was introduced. The first color prints were hand painted.  By c. 1765, Japanese artists had developed a method of printing the color to meet the burgeoning demands of the public.

For much of Japan’s history, the country was isolated from the rest of the world. As trade opened up, the Japanese people became exposed to the luxuries from the West. In turn, the Europeans and Americans were introduced to the art of Japan. In particular, the Ukiyo-e prints had a great impact on many of the greatest Western artists, including Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Gaugin.

Video about the history of Ukiyo-e woodblock printing

The popularity of the Ukiyo-e woodblock prints continues today. Some of the largest collections of this art form are housed in the USA and in Western Europe.

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About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 400 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2017 Jim Hingst