On view: Jun. 10 - Aug. 15, 2025

Location: Ronin Gallery, 32 W. 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

Gallery hours: Mon. – Thurs. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Opening Reception: June 10 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

Ronin Gallery celebrates its 50th anniversary with an exploration of five centuries of Japanese prints. From the first flowerings of ukiyo-e to today’s contemporary talents, they will consider the history of Japanese printmaking in five exhibitions. The third installment of this anniversary program, Expanding Horizons: Woodblock Prints from 1860 through 1912 explores an era of profound change for both the art form and Japan as a whole. As Edo’s “floating world” faded in the gas-light glow of modern Tokyo, woodblock print artists expanded their subjects, styles and materials to reflect the transition from feudal nation to modern empire. From foreign ships in the newly opened port of Yokohama to military battles fought on foreign shores, this exhibition considers the complexity and creativity of the late Edo Period (1603-1868) and Meiji Period (1868-1912) through artists such as Yoshitoshi, Kiyochika, Sadahide, and more.

While ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) had achieved extraordinary popularity by the mid-19th century, the sense of economic and political stability that had shaped the floating world had waned. After more than two centuries of continuous rule, the Tokugawa shogunate crumbled under the pressure of social unrest and encroaching foreign powers. Following the arrival of American Commodore Matthew Perry in Edo Bay in 1853, the government ended 250 years of relative isolation. Japan formally engaged in trade with the United States in 1858, followed by France, Britain, Russia and the Netherlands a year later. As unfamiliar people and goods arrived in Japan, ukiyo-e artists fed a public curiosity about these new arrivals. Named for the international port opened in 1860, Yokohama-e (Yokohama pictures) recorded and circulated early impressions of these imports. From harbor views to portraits of foreigners, artists such as Sadahide, Yoshitora, and Hiroshige III wove together imagination and inspiration from foreign media to indulge their audiences' curiosity.

With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the imperial line returned to power and public interest shifted from foreign novelties to national identity. From government and infrastructure, to fashion and industrial aspirations, Japan shaped its modern identity along a Western imperial model. As social, economic, and political change progressed at a stunning speed, woodblock print artists reflected the development of a modern Japanese identity. Kaika-e (enlightenment pictures) portrayed technological achievements, imported pastimes, and Western fashion rendered in the bright hues of recently imported aniline dyes. By the late 1880s, a rejection of Edo-period culture turned to a romanticization. Throughout these shifting sentiments, artists such as Yoshitoshi bridged past and present, portraying the heroes and legends of ukiyo-e through a modern lens. Other ukiyo-e genres found contemporary relevance through fresh contexts. Senso-e (war pictures) drew on the visual language of musha-e (warrior pictures) to valorize Japan’s imperial advances, while bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) reached a literary audience through kuchi-e (frontispieces for novels). Competing with the rising popularity of photography and lithography, woodblock prints of the Meiji period melded diverse artistic styles, Japanese history, international influences, and national aspirations to reflect the changing role of the woodblock print in modern Japan.

Looking forward, Ronin Gallery’s exploration of the history of the Japanese woodblock print continues with:

● Modern Perspectives: Woodblock Prints of the 20th Century (September-October)

● Contemporary Talents: 21st Century (November-December)