Ukiyo-E Explained

by David J. Bell

This study illuminates new pathways to a greater appreciation of ukiyo-e by addressing the environments and conditions under which the artists worked, together with the factors that determined or conditioned the peculiar stylistic character of ukiyo-e. It also examines the particular forces that governed this distinctive type of picture-making, together with the corresponding development of popular tastes with the audiences of the day, focusing especially on contemporary aesthetic sensibilities, the ways artists learned their craft, and the conditioning qualities of their medium.

322 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a higher review if it featured pictures of the woodblocks he was referencing. Otherwise it is a nice historical account on the development of ukiyo-e, the language, and its concepts.