Hokkei (1780 - 1850 )
Hokkei Totoya was an ukiyo-e artist working in Edo during the 19th century. He began his artistic education under Yosen'in Kano before becoming one of Hokusai's most accomplished students. While Hokkei produced only a small number of single sheet prints during his career, he was a prolific illustrator and an surimono artist. Between the 1820s and 1830s, he produced hundreds of surimono designs. Literally "printed thing," surimono were lavishly printed, privately commissioned pairings of poetry and image. Hokkei Totoya's ukiyo-e surimono illustrations and prints are featured in collections such as the Museum of Modern Art New York, the British Museum and Musée Guimet.
Ukiyo-e | Japanese Woodblock Prints | Ronin Gallery
Explore the largest collection of 17th-19th century original Japanese woodblock prints in the United States at Ronin Gallery. Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” captured the exciting urban popular culture of the Edo period (1603-1868), promoting its beauty, fashions and heroes. While the Buddhist term ukiyo originally emphasized the transitory nature of human life, during the 17th century the term gradually shifted its reference to the ephemeral world of pleasure and indulgence. From 17th century Buddhist woodcuts through 19th century Japanese ukiyo-e print masters, enter a vibrant world of enchanting landscapes and sublime nature studies by Hokusai and Hiroshige, dramatic kabuki actors by Sharaku and Toyokuni, fierce samurai by Kuniyoshi, and elegant beauties by Utamaro. With the ravages of time, war and fire, today few of these precious original Japanese woodblock prints survive outside of museums and important private collections.