The world portrayed by the art of Japanese printing can be captured under one romantic, by origin Buddhist, name - ukiyo-e, or the floating world. It's a world of brief amusement and pleasure - of daily life like it took place between the 17th and 19th century in theatres, on the street and during parties and festivals. Before the ukiyo-e period Japanese art was mainly about images which pleased the Japanese feudal lords - grand, colorful and elegant works of art which portrayed courtly life, made by artists who belonged to the traditional Kano and Tosa school. Little could be seen of daily life of the Japanese people. Every now and then one could catch a glimpse of the forthcoming ukiyo-e period which would portray common life in all its glory, with a leading part put aside for actors and courtesans. This changed when ukiyo-e made its entrance. After a turbulent period of political turmoil, the Tokugawa period commenced - a period which would herald a strict, dictatorial regime by the so-called Shoguns, who belonged to the Tokugawa family. To control the population, social life was restricted and entertainment for the common Japanese was limited to parties and festivals. The artists belonging to the traditional schools like the Kano and Tosa school adapted to this new era and woodblock prints emerged presenting every day life. Soon these woodblock prints became very popular and the Tokugawa period counts as a milestone for the art of Japanese printing. Initially a print was a cheap derivative of the traditional art of painting. Due to advancing woodblock print techniques the art of wood block prints developed into a full and popular art form during the 18th century. To make a woodblock print the artist worked closely together with various craftsmen. He drew his design on a translucent piece of paper, the hanshita-e. The paper was dampened and carefully traced by the copyist onto a plate of cherry wood. The engraver carefully carved out the fine graved cherry wood, along the lines of the design, removing everything but the design lines. He could not afford to make a simple mistake, because it was irretrievable. However, his work was more than purely that of a craftsman. He was expected to revise the sometimes rough sketch of the artist into fine, fluent lines in relief in the wood. Then the artist indicated which planes should get which color and a plate was cut per color. The printer prepared and cut special paper which was made from fiber of the mulberry tree. He first printed the color planes and then meticulously the line drawing. For the paint he used materials of vegetable origin. When we look at the wood block prints now we should realize that many of the original colors have faded over the years. The publisher was the organizational and commercial keyman during the process. He gave the artist the assignment and paid the craftsmen. Sometimes the prints were put onto the market by the thousands. Because of this they became affordable, which obviously contributed to their large popularity. With this in mind it seems unjust that for a long time only the name of the artist, sometimes the name of the engraver and only seldom the publisher, was mentioned on the print. Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Hokusai belongs to the best-known, most innovative, and, with 30,000 designs, the most productive ukyio-e artists. At a young age he learned that the basics of wood block cutting. During his first job in a rental book store he took the opportunity to copy numerous pictures. At the age of 19 he got a job at the renowned Latsukawa Shunsko studios, which specialized in portraits of famous actors. After 13 years the determined Hokusai left the studios following an argument. Penniless and unhappy in his private life, obsessed by drawing, he studied the techniques of other studios. He also analyzed the Western art of printing, which he came into contact with via the Dutch trade office in Nagasaki. Traveling about restlessly, he changed his artist name many times. Around forty years of age he eventually called himself Hokusai. More and more he became attracted to landscape art. He published his sketchbooks in 12 parts. Not until he was in his sixties, did he make his most famous works, among which are the Fagaku Sanjurokkei, 36 Views on the Fuji Mountains and Shokoky Taki Meguri, The Journey to the Waterfalls. The Gakyo-rojin, the mad painter- which he called himself - stayed productive well into his eighties. Apparently he said on his death bed: "If I would be granted another five years, I will become a genuine artist." The "Two Beauties" (1803-1805) was originally made with ink and paint on silk.

Material : Collectible quality, resin with hand-painted color details, matte and glossy finish.

Included : Full color card with image of original artwork. Description card about artist and artwork. Both cards are in four languages.

Dimensions : 5"L x 4"D x 9"H