The Golden Age of Colour Prints: Ukiyo-e from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston features the art of three of the most important artists in Japanese history: Torii Kiyonaga, Kitagawa Utamaro and Tōshashūsai Sharaku, along with a selection of work by their contemporaries.
Each of these artists were masters and key innovators in the medium of the ukiyo-e print. Focusing on what is known as the golden age of nishiki-e colour prints, the Tenmei and Kansei eras (1781-1801), it showcases 96 ukiyo-e prints and offers a rare opportunity for Australians to appreciate the gorgeous colour aesthetic that is the essence of nishiki-e, or ukiyo-e printed in multiple colours.
In common with other radical moments in art, these images were considered to be crude and unsophisticated when they first appeared. The superficial world of beauty and entertainment of the pleasure quarter and the theatre were considered to be both remote from everyday life and not appropriate subjects for art. However the art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Tokyo during the second half of the 17th century.
The imagery of ukiyo-e has had a powerful and enduring influence on Western art and may seem familiar to many visitors. Movements such as Impressionism, Art Noveau and Pop Art are all indebted in various ways.
The work of Australian artists as diverse as Charles Conder, Sydney Long, Brett Whitely and Brent Harris reveal an interest in Japanese art of this time. In contemporary culture the striking images of Japanese Manga comics and Anime films are everywhere. These are direct artistic descendents of the Golden Age artists in this exciting exhibition.
In the Australian context, this will be the first major exhibition of Japanese prints in three years and one of the largest ever held. None of the works in The Golden Age of Colour Prints have previously been seen in Australia, and no exhibition featuring these particular key artists together has previously been staged here.
Each of these artists were masters and key innovators in the medium of the ukiyo-e print. Focusing on what is known as the golden age of nishiki-e colour prints, the Tenmei and Kansei eras (1781-1801), it showcases 96 ukiyo-e prints and offers a rare opportunity for Australians to appreciate the gorgeous colour aesthetic that is the essence of nishiki-e, or ukiyo-e printed in multiple colours.
In common with other radical moments in art, these images were considered to be crude and unsophisticated when they first appeared. The superficial world of beauty and entertainment of the pleasure quarter and the theatre were considered to be both remote from everyday life and not appropriate subjects for art. However the art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Tokyo during the second half of the 17th century.
The imagery of ukiyo-e has had a powerful and enduring influence on Western art and may seem familiar to many visitors. Movements such as Impressionism, Art Noveau and Pop Art are all indebted in various ways.
The work of Australian artists as diverse as Charles Conder, Sydney Long, Brett Whitely and Brent Harris reveal an interest in Japanese art of this time. In contemporary culture the striking images of Japanese Manga comics and Anime films are everywhere. These are direct artistic descendents of the Golden Age artists in this exciting exhibition.
In the Australian context, this will be the first major exhibition of Japanese prints in three years and one of the largest ever held. None of the works in The Golden Age of Colour Prints have previously been seen in Australia, and no exhibition featuring these particular key artists together has previously been staged here.
This exhibition is drawn from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, one of the most significant collections of Japanese prints in the world. The exhibition has previously only been seen in Japan, where it toured four venues in 2010/11. The Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is the sole and exclusive venue for the current tour, after which the works will return to Boston.
The Golden Age of Colour Prints
Exhibition: 7 March - 2 June 2013
Venue: Shepparton Art Museum
Address: 70 Welsford St Shepparton Victoria
Note: entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au for details.
Image: The Chofu Jewel River (Chofu no Tamagawa), Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769–1825), publisher: Izumiya Ichibei (Kansendo) (Japanese), Japanese, Edo period, about 1795–1801 (late Kansei era), woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection 11.24991, image 2012 © Museum Fine Arts, Boston
Exhibition: 7 March - 2 June 2013
Venue: Shepparton Art Museum
Address: 70 Welsford St Shepparton Victoria
Note: entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au for details.
Image: The Chofu Jewel River (Chofu no Tamagawa), Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769–1825), publisher: Izumiya Ichibei (Kansendo) (Japanese), Japanese, Edo period, about 1795–1801 (late Kansei era), woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection 11.24991, image 2012 © Museum Fine Arts, Boston
