Japanese Woodblock Prints
Three answers to the question of who the author is, all resting on the same woodblock craft, namely a division of labor, a publisher led revival, and one artist doing every stage.
Dictionary entry
- Ukiyo-e 17th–19th century / Style
Fixes a passing moment of daily life or landscape into strong composition with contour, flat color and daring crops.
- Shin-Hanga 1915–1960s / Style
The woodblock revival led by publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō: ukiyo-e's carver-printer division joined to Western light and atmosphere. Hasui's nights and rains became the beloved image of a lyric Japan abroad.
- Sōsaku-hanga 1904–1960s / Style
A movement that rejected the division of labor among designer, carver and printer and declared that one person draws, carves and prints. It chose to leave the trace of the maker's hand rather than technical perfection, taking the opposite road from the shin-hanga of the same years.