Shinsai (c.1764 - 1820 )
An ukiyo-e painter and printmaker, Shinsai Ryuryukyo lived in Edo. He studied with Sori Tawaraya before becoming the student of Hokusai. Shinsai received his name from Hokusai in 1800 and soon adopted the go, or artist name, “Ryuryukyo,” an old go used by his former teacher Sori. While Shinsai illustrated books and designed single-sheet prints throughout his career, he is best known for his surimono. These lavishly printed works were commissioned for special occasions, such as the New Year or poetry competitions. Adorned with gold, silver, lacquer, embossing, and mica, no expense was spared in the production of these exquisite works. Shinsai also experimented with one-point perspective and shading in his landscape prints.
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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