Sugakudo (fl.1850 - 1861 )
Sugakudo Nakayama was a mid-19th century ukiyo-e artist. Though the exact dates of his birth and death are unknown, he flourished between 1850 and 1861. A student of Hiroshige, Sugakudo is best known for his kacho-e (bird-and-flower prints), particularly for his series Exact Reproductions of Forty-Eight Birds (1858) and Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons (1861). These designs are acclaimed for their realistic rendering of the natural world, as well as their delicacy of color, fine embossing, and high technical quality.
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.