On view: Mar. 6 - May 23, 2025

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

Gallery hours: Mon. – Fri. 11am – 6pm

Opening Reception: Mar. 6th, 5-7pm

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 printmaking in five exhibitions. The second installment of this anniversary program, The Floating World in Full Bloom: Woodblock Prints of the 19th Century, explores the art form in its prime. While ukiyo-e entered the 19th century with a defined spirit and style, the artists of this era coaxed these “pictures of the floating world” from bud to bloom. As ukiyo-e enjoyed unprecedented popularity among Edo’s audiences, this period gave rise to some of the art form’s most iconic imagery. Artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige captivated armchair-adventurers through their landscapes, Kunisada wove beauties and theatrical subjects within literature and history, and Kuniyoshi brought the fierce, fantastical, and frightening to ukiyo-e. In this exhibition, Ronin Gallery invites you to experience this vibrant era of new genres and artistic approaches.

Ever adapting to public taste, ukiyo-e were affordable, collectible works of art. While the Buddhist term ukiyo originally emphasized the transitory nature of human life, over the 17th century the term gradually shifted its reference to the ephemeral world of earthly pleasure and indulgence. Centered in the city of Edo (today’s Tokyo), this world revolved around the carnal pleasures of the Yoshiwara and the theatrical delights found in Kabuki theaters. By the mid-19th century, ukiyo-e had achieved extraordinary popularity and drawn the watchful eye of the government. Though artists and publishers sidestepped early restrictions designed to deter extravagance, the reforms of 1841 crashed on the floating world with unexpected force. These reforms restricted the depiction of courtesans and actors—ukiyo-e’s two dominant genres. In the wake of this void, innovation soared throughout other genres such as landscapes, warriors, ghosts, and more.

From classical literature to urban landscapes, Edo’s artists explored newly popular genres with all of the humor, drama, and wit of the floating world. As travel restrictions loosened, Hokusai and Hiroshige indulged in a growing wanderlust through their meisho-e (famous place pictures). Spinning modern heroes from old tales, Kuniyoshi breathed palpable drama and contemporary salience into musha-e (warrior prints). Tapping into the public imagination, he embraced the dynamic possibilities of the triptych format, stretching the action across three sheets. During the 19th century, these artists paired culturally resonant subjects with new ways of seeing. From the incorporation of one-point perspective to the vogue of the imported pigment Prussian blue, the art form blossomed as ukiyo-e artists, carvers, printers, and publishers embraced new techniques, materials, and subjects.

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

• Expanding Horizons: Woodblock Prints of the Meiji Period (June-July)
• Modern Perspectives: Woodblock Prints of the 20th Century (September-October)
• Contemporary Talents: 21st Century (November-December)