Japanese Woodblock Prints and the Meiji State: Production, Reception, and Intention in the Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Utagawa Hiroshige III

Ukiyo-e 浮世絵, literally meaning or known under its English equivalent of 'pictures of the floating world', refers to the Japanese traditional genre of woodblock printing. Despite their contemporary exclusive character, Japanese woodblock prints were a popular commercial art that produced multicolored printed images in very large quantities at low cost to satisfy the growing middle-class clientele of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Integral to the production of these printed images was its artistic and commercial collaboration between at least five figures: the publisher—who held the key position as he pre-financed everything from labor and material costs to the actual sale and distribution of the prints—the artist, the engraver, the printer, and the consumer. This collaboration has often been neglected, despite it being the most vital part of Japanese woodblock prints. This dissertation argues that in order to provide a detailed account of woodblock prints of the Meiji period (1868-1912), the role of a sixth figure needs to be taken into account, namely that of the state.The overall aim of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of government policies relating to art administration and the birth of modern education in the Meiji period on woodblock prints in general and on the work of two print artists in particular, notably Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839-1892) and Utagawa Hiroshige III 三代歌川広重 (1842-1894). A reexamination of Yoshitoshi's and Hiroshige III's life and oeuvre within this broader context provides, firstly, several new insights into the development of their individual careers as well as clarifies the artistic and commercial collaboration which was integral to the print and publishing world. Secondly, it discloses the relation between the state and woodblock print artists and clarifies their patron relationship with the Tokugawa and Meiji governments. Thirdly, it confirms how easily they adapted their artistic practices to the shifting social, economic, and political conditions in order to produce works ranging from private and elite patronage to works addressing a mass audience. Ultimately, this reexamination provides a new understanding of the life and work of Yoshitoshi and Hiroshige III as well as reveals the different levels of intention, production, and reception at play in the world of Japanese woodblock prints across the Edo-Meiji divide.

Publication year:2021

Accessibility:Closed