Shunman (1757 - 1820 )
Shunman Kubo was an ukiyo-e artist and author of the Edo Period. Born as Yasubei Kubo (or Kubota) in 1757, Shunman was orphaned as a child. He became a student of poetry under Nahiko Katori before turning to ukiyo-e under Shigemasa Kitao. Throughout his career, Shunman produced many paintings, prints, illustrations, and poems, all published under a variety of different pseudonyms. During the last two decades of the 18th century, he produced some prints in the beni-girai trend, shunning vivid colors for a more muted palette. Shuman’s passion for the art of verse and art of print intertwined, particularly later in his career. In the 1790s, Shunman turned away from commercial ukiyo-e to focus on surimono, deluxe, privately-commissioned prints, which were often commissioned by poetry groups. It is also said that he provided poetry for compositions by Utamaro, Eishi, and Hokusai. Today, his works can be found in collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Japanese Woodblock Prints (1600 - 1800)
Early ukiyo-e, or pictures (e) of the floating world (ukiyo), emerged around 1660 with monochrome prints. The masters of this “primitive” period, such as Moronobu and Masanobu, are known for their elegant and vital lines. By 1700, the first early color prints emerged. Hand-colored with vegetable-based pigments, this process proved costly and was replaced by full-color printing in 1765. Known as the father of color printing, Harunobu ushered in the era of nishiki-e, or brocade pictures, with sensitivity and subtlety. The late 18th century welcomed a “golden age” of ukiyo-e, during which time artists developed the use of color and diversified their approach to subject matter. Sharaku imbued his actor portraits with a greater sense of individualism, while Utamaro delved deeper into the “greenhouses” of the Yoshiwara, considering the private lives of courtesans. Browse our collection of early ukiyo-e below.
