Ukiyo-e, images of the floating world is a genre painting of Japanese woodblock

prints and paintings, which was a prevalence of Japanese art throughout the 17th to
19th centuries, and originated in the city of Edo (now Tokyo) when the political and
military strength was in the top of Tokugawa shoguns. According to UKIYO-E GIAN
CARLO CALZA (2005, p.6), the term ukiyo has a Buddhist and means the condition of
impermanence created by daily life and its desires. Ukiyo was wise not to be seduced
by it as it was the source of constant suffering: ukiyo denoted the world (yo) of
suffering (uki). Ukiyo-e reflected democratic tendencies related to the rapid
development of urban life in the Edo-period, the depictions of everyday life of
artisans, merchants, actors, and geishas as well as warriors, or landscapes were the
common themes. (Ukiyo-e (n.d.) the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition, 1970-
1979) However, UKIYO-E GIAN CARLO CALZA, (2005, pp.15) commented that the
core of the Floating World was always made up of two specific genre: female
beauties and actors. The main idea of Ukiyo-e was Carpe Diem that encourages
people in the Edo period to seize the day and enjoy their life as you dont know what
will happen tomorrow.

Moreover, Ukiyo-e was mostly influenced by Yamato-e which was the popular
printing depicted scenes from aristocracy and portray events from history or legend
with hand produced and it was popular from 12th to 14th centuries. The printing
styles of Yamato-e, such as the ornamental shapes of clouds and devices of parallel
perspective, had important influences to Ukiyo-e, and believed that Ukiyo-e was
evolved from Yamato-e. (Yamato-e. (n.d.)The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd
Edition, 1970-1979). As mentioned above, Ukiyo-e is a woodblock printing that
meant planting on the woodblock.Woodblock-printed book origin was China and
imported to Japan in the 5th century when Japan started formal relations with China.
Woodblock-printed book has been used in Buddhist religious texts, and then it was
affected by Chinese painting style, especially Ming Dynasty engraving in the
seventeenth century. (Viewing Japanese Prints, 1992-2002, para.2). Woodblock
printing became a popular art in the Edo period because of its lowly-priced and the
pursuit of book from the society as well as the convenience of producing, and
therefore triggered the large-scale production of Ukiyo prints.
The chief representatives of the school were Matabei and Moronobu.
Ukiyoe. (n.d.) The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition. (1970-1979).
Retrieved October 7 2015 from
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Ukiyoe

Ukiyo reflected the Buddhist credo that all is illusion, and during the Edo era it
came to mean the pursuit of ephemeral pleasure.

Hishikawa Moronobu (Japanese: ; 1618 25 July 1694) was a Japanese

artist known for popularizing the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock prints and paintings in
the late 17th century.[

Lyons, Martyn. "Books: A Living History". Getty Publishing, 2011, p 161.

Viewing Japanese Prints, John Fiorillo 1999-2002

http://viewingjapaneseprints.net/texts/topictexts/faq/faq_beginnings.html

http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/east-asian-art/ukiyo.htm
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EAST ASIAN ART

visual-arts-cork.com

Gardens and Pavilions of Pleasure, late 17th century, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Reference: Viewing
Japanese Prints. (1999-2002). FAQ. What were the origins of Ukiyo-
e? Retrieved from
http://www.viewingjapaneseprints.net/texts/topictexts/faq/faq_beginnings.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato-e#/media/File:Genji_emaki_azumaya.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurikara/5138120682/in/photostream/
1. The three tiles in Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre Hara, 13th station
of The Fifty-three Stations of the Tkaid, Hiroshige, 1833 34
2. Beauty looking back Hishikawa Moronobu
Beauty Looking Back, Moronobu, late 17th century

3. Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1831