What is ukiyo-e?

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Ukiyo-e prints were made using a multi-block woodblock printing technique, in which separate woodblocks were carved for each color, and then carefully inked and printed by hand to create the final image.

The subjects of ukiyo-e prints were typically drawn from the everyday life of the "floating world" (ukiyo) of Edo (present-day Tokyo), including scenes of kabuki theater, geisha, sumo wrestling, and landscapes. Ukiyo-e prints were also used to illustrate popular novels and travel guides.

Ukiyo-e prints were a major influence on Western art, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Impressionist painters, such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, were inspired by ukiyo-e's use of flat colors, bold outlines, and unusual perspectives. The Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh was also influenced by ukiyo-e, and he even collected several ukiyo-e prints.

Today, ukiyo-e prints are still highly prized by collectors and art lovers around the world. They are considered to be some of the most beautiful and iconic works of Japanese art.