One of the most dominant strains of ukiyo-e - "pictures of the
floating world" - in the early 19th century concerned itself with
depictions of prostitutes and geisha, the denizens and queens of
pleasure quarters such as the Yoshiwara in old Edo. A symbiosis
between art and life helped form a new cult of the courtesan, an
idealized icon whose skills in love-making were matched only by her
sophistication, wit and elegance. In ukiyo-e, the exotic kimono of
the courtesan became a canvas upon which artists like Kunisada
could project their most outre, intricate and colour-saturated
designs, dazzling bursts of flora, fauna and arcane symbolism.
Known as bijin-ga ("beauty pictures"), this print genre flourished
right up until the 1860s, when its popularity began to wane. EMPIRE
OF THE SENSES contains an extensive selection of courtesan
portraits and triptychs, by artists ranging from Choki and Eisho to
Kunichika, Kunisada II and Kyosai, as well as many other prints of
female beauty. It also has sections on genj-e (beauty triptychs
inspired by the literary classic Genji monogatari) and onnagata
(kabuki actors who specialised in female impersonation), and
includes two complete sets of classic bijin-ga from the Meiji
period: Yoshitoshi's Fuzoku Sanjuniso ("32 Aspects Of Beauty,"
1888), and Kiyochika's Hana Moyo ("Flower Designs," 1896). EMPIRE
OF THE SENSES features over 200 rare and exceptional Japanese
woodblock prints of beautiful women. The artists featured in the
book comprise many of the most outstanding ukiyo-e print-designers
of the Edo and Meiji periods, each of whom used their immense
artistic talent and imagination to brilliantly illuminate the
enigmatic allure of Japanese femininity. Artists featured include:
Eisho, Eishi, Choki, Utamaro, Eizan, Eisen, Shikimaro, Shunsen,
Toyokuni I, Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi, Yoshiyuki, Kunichika,
Sadahide, Shigenobu, Tominobu, Sadakage, Kunisada II, Sencho,
Fusatane, Yoshitora, Yoshiiku, Toyoshige, Kyosai, Chikanobu, and
Kiyochika.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
