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.
Meiji Period Prints (1868-1912)
Meiji-period woodblock prints reflect an era of change. In 1853, the arrival of Commodore Perry’s black ships brought over 250 years of Japanese isolation to an abrupt end. The following year, as Japan engaged in international trade, Yokohama-e (Yokohama pictures) captured an influx of unfamiliar peoples, places and things entering Japan through Yokohama harbor. By 1868, the Imperial line attained control of the country under Emperor Meiji, terminating the feudal rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate and dissipating the culture of the floating world. Under the emperor, national modernization progressed rapidly. From Western-style clothes and pastimes, to exciting new inventions from overseas, Japan absorbed the massive influx of the foreign and developed a distinctly Japanese modern identity. While photography and lithography gained popularity at this time, the woodblock print continued to serve as a powerful medium. Meiji period artists made sense of a transitioning world with a familiar medium.
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