Woodblock prints? Traditional Japanese art? What is this?

"Ukiyo-e" is a catch-all term for a style of Japanese art produced from the 1600s through to the 1800s, produced as paintings or woodblock prints. The term is typically used to describe woodblock prints, which became the most ubiquitous version of this style of art.

The origins of ukiyo-e come from Buddhist practices and printing methods, such as carving woodblock prints to create texts and images instead of writing everything out by hand. When the woodblock printing method was separated from solely being used for Buddhist practices, a revolution in art began.

Buddhist paintings usually were created with large lines and visible brush strokes, using brushes similar in appearance to calligraphy brushes. These paintings were generally flat and didn't have geometric perspective with surroundings or a large number of objects and people.

Ukiyo-e art, on the other hand, explored the use of perspective and scenery in ways that other forms of Japanese art largely ignored. When ukiyo-e was first created as an art form, the focus was on distinct lines, then filling them in. The first woodblock prints were monochrome, but color printing methods were developed in the 1700s. Previously, the only ukiyo-e works with color had to be hand painted.

There are many different styles within ukiyo-e art, with hundreds of artists having their own unique ideas on where to take the medium. Some were inspired by Western art whereas others sought to expand the art seen in clothing, Buddhism, Shintoism, and construction. Different artists had different ideas for where the medium should go, with some sticking to more traditional styles of art and others delving into large vistas or the human psyche.

Some prints were only made once whereas others had new woodblocks created many times over the years - even up to today.

There's a whole world - or at least country - of ukiyo-e prints to explore, and we hope to bring you along on this journey. We invite you to browse through our catalog and look for prints only seen in museums or private collections.

We use high-resolution images of ukiyo-e prints along with techniques to revitalize the colors and repair damage with the intent of making prints that appear identical to the originals when they were first printed. Many prints have significant damage, so images of multiple prints are sometimes combined to repair damage. The exact appearance is never the same when new woodblocks are carved.  We try to use the most detailed prints that are closest to the original artists' visions if we are unable to source an original print.