元禄・化政文化の絵画展

菱川師宣筆,By Hishikawa Moronobu (died 1694),東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>This ukiyo-e painting was hand-drawn by Hishikawa Moronobu. A woman in a vivid red garment has stopped to look back. We can only see the side of her face, but from this and her appearance from behind, we can still catch a good glimpse of the fashion trends of the day. She sports a trendy hairstyle, with her long hair tied in a loop at the end. The comb in her hair seems to be made of expensive tortoiseshell. She is wearing a furisode, or a garment with long, swinging sleeves. It features large chrysanthemum and cherry blossom roundels on a luxurious, glossy ground dyed in red. This was also a fashionable design at the time. These motifs were probably rendered using embroidery, gold leaf, and tie-dyed dots. Moronobu was originally a master of garment decoration using a technique that involves embroidery and the pressing of gold and silver foil. This probably explains why he was so good at depicting these kinds of intricate designs. The ends of the woman's obi belt hang low on the left and right. This fastening style was popularized by a famous contemporary actor of female roles. We don't know who this woman was modelled on, but she must have been an extremely fashionable sophisticate. Moronobu's paintings of beauties were very popular and were said to epitomize the women of Edo, as Tokyo was formerly known.</p>

葛飾北斎筆,By Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849),東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>This woodblock print was produced by the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai in the late Edo period. It is one of a series of works called Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. It is also one of the most famous Japanese pictures in the world.<br /><br />The “mild breeze” of the title refers to a gentle wind that blows in from the south. The foot of Mount Fuji spreads out expansively. There are no human figures and the scene focuses on the grandeur of nature. The most distinctive feature is the reddened mountain surface. Perhaps this redness is the color of Fuji's volcanic surface on a clear day, or maybe the mountain has been dyed this color by the dawn sunlight.<br /><br />This is a woodblock print, but the same block can produce different results depending on the printing technique. Some versions of Mild Breeze on a Fine Day use lighter colors for the sky and Mount Fuji. This creates a sense of the landscape changing color as the morning sun slowly rises. However, this version from Tokyo National Museum's collection uses more vivid hues for the blue sky and the red mountain. This emphasizes the sense of Mount Fuji captured on a hot, clear day. These variations enhance the enjoyment of woodblock prints.</p>

葛飾北斎筆,By Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849),東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>[The Great Wave] is the most iconic and well-known print of Hokusai's [Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji]. <br /></p><br /><p>This woodblock print was designed by the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai in the latter half of the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868. It is one of a series of works called 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.' It is probably the most famous Japanese artwork in the world and Hokusai was included in the United States' Life Magazine's '100 People in the World who Left the Most Important Achievements in the Past 1,000 Years.'<br /><br />With Mount Fuji in the background, a huge wave unfurls against a dark sky that hints of an approaching storm. Boats with many oarsmen are swept up in the waves. In real life, boats like this wouldn't stand a chance in waves this big. The artist has probably eschewed realism in favor of a more exaggerated, dramatic representation. The contrast between the violent dynamism of the waves and the calm, triangular shape of distant Fuji give perspective to this work.<br /><br />This print and other early works in the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series often feature 'Berlin Blue,' a pigment that was introduced to Japan from Europe during this time. As such, these works speak volumes about Hokusai's interest in the latest things of the time.<br /></p>

歌川広重,Utagawa Hiroshige

現在の東京都中央区にあたる。東海道の起点・日本橋の朝の景色。朝焼けを背に大名行列が橋を渡り始める様子が窺える。先箱持ちを先頭に毛槍と続き、陣笠の従士たちが整然と列をなしている。手前には魚河岸から帰った魚屋や野菜売り、犬の姿を見ることができる。左右に開いた大木戸の間から覗くような視点が面白く、大木戸の縦格子と毛槍の縦のラインと橋の板目の横のラインが画面に一定のリズムを与え、堅固な構図を作り上げている。

歌川広重筆,By Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858),東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

Hiroshige created many works about the Tokaido Highway, a major road linking Tokyo and Kyoto. His most popular series on this theme was the Hoeido edition of Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido Highway, published by Takenouchi Magohachi and Tsuruya Kiemon. This print, which includes the subtitle “rain shower,” is one of the best works from that series. The rain falling through gradated shades of gray and black is particularly impressive.(20140225_h102)イタリック：Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido Highway