Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27


and gouges such as an ordinary carpenter
would use. The result was what IL called
the key block" from which trial impress
sions were taken and other blocks cut, pro-
vided the picture was printed In more than
one color. When this was finished 1t. with
Its duplicates. was given into the hands OF
a. printer. who, following the directions
OF the painter. colored the blocks and
printed the pictures laying the dampened
mulberry bark paper each time with his
hands and rubbing or an impression, often
with his elbow. The accuracy with which
this was done Is remarkable, some prints
being the register OF as many as thirty
different blocks. The designer was al
most never the printer. and worked more
OFTEN for publisher than independently.
The painter OF Japan was an artstocrat,
but the print-maker. merely an artisan.
ranked even beneath the peasant and shop
keeper. He came, as a rule, from the
iowliest callings; the first Toyokuni was
the son OF puppet maker. Kunisada began
life as the keeper of ferry, and Hokkei
as fishmonger. and yet he was inherent
ly an artist. 1t has been said that every
child in Japan was a potential artist, and
It is In measure true. For centuries the
japanese have developed the esthetic-their
eyes are trained to perceive beauty, their
hands are trained by their method of writ
Ing. The children are taken when babies
to see the> loneliness of nature; national
holidays are proclaimed in seasons of bios
soming, and the choicest views on the high
ways are indicated by signboards to the
sA<ANSAcA. <AH0 yet The ART IN their color
prints was first recognized by the Dutch
merchants at Nagasaki, and is still scarce
~ appreciated by the better class of Japa-
nese. This is partly because it was dia-
metrcaliy opposed to tradition, and be-
cause it devoted itself chiefly to repre
sentation of low-cast subjects The art of
the east is additionally interpretative, SYM
oohcai-the actor and the courtesan always
openly dlscountenanced. Though MANY of
the pr1nt-makers devoted themselves chief
~ TO the picturing of these people they
frankly looked down upon them and never
counted them among their associates
First Color Prints Were Posters.
Inc nrst color prints were, however prob
ably theatrical posters, and were made
before the middle of the seventeenth CEN
trry. They were done at first simply in
black and white, then a little color was
added with brush to the print, then on
TO the block; gradually more blocks were
USED ana better colors, until the process
ceased to be simple and the results became
exceedingly elaborate. In the matter Of
SUBJECT and purpose the same evolution was
observable. From the mere portraiture of
actors ana portrayal of dramatic scenes
the prints became in time a reflection of
inc everyday life of the people and for
ms reason were named "Ukiyoye," or
Mirror of the Passing World - They he
came the most democratic expression of art
and were utilized not merely as pictures,
put as gifts significant of congr stuIato-y
good Will. For nearly two centuries they
were produced in great variety and album
oance, then came western civilza ton anil
line dyes ard modern sophistry and grad
ually the school ianguished and the art
was laid aside.
Turning, however. to the prints on exhi-
bltion better comprehension can be gained
OF their scope and character. One of the
first is by Hishikawa Moronobu who was
born at Yasuda in 1887 and died in 1714.
He was one of the earliest of the print
makers-at least of the first to make
them for the working classes. His father
was a maker of gold embroidery and at
first he helped him with his designs. Then
he became dyer of cloth a painter and
an illustrator He was an excellent
draughtsman and the example which is
given here shows him at his best. 1t pic
lures lady having her hair combed by a
maid and on the left woman composing
letter. 1t is a simple statement of facts
but so gracefully and vigorously set forth
that it cannot fail to be attractive.
Color blocks were not used much before
the beginning of the eighteenth century
but in this same case near the Moronobu
just mentioned, is an exquisite print by
Masanobu, entitled@"The Poetess" which
is charmingly tinted and so clear cut in
line and mellow In tone that II suggests an
inlay of lacquer or a delicate mosaic. Here
too, is a curious print by the same artist
representing woman covering the eyes of
a man with her hands and blowing away
coiored one Of a daintier person picking tea
leaves, by Haronobu, who did much toward
perfecting the mechanical processes of color
printing.
Art Became Hereditary.
Confusion in the identity Of print makers
often arises through the fact that the art
became hereditary and the names, as well
as the craft, descended from father to son.
or from master to pupil. In this manner
there was a succession of Toriis who as
further token of their union prefixed the
syllable kiyo to their names. Kiyomitzu
who is represented here by two interesting
prints, was one of these. He, oddly enough
was maker of musical instruments and
did his prints as paStime.
Shunsho's picture of a woman making her
toilet is peculiarly interesting In color
showing pleasing combination of pink
green and buff, and his View in a Palace
is remarka BILE on account Of accurately rep
resening costumes in vogue five hundred
years ago.
More grotesque than beautiful is "The
Angry Baby by Utamaro, who is, how
ever, rated as one of the greatest of the
Ukyoye makers. The quality and handling
Of the black in this is notable and the bold
ness of its rendering; though greater re-
hnement and more acute artistic feeling are
to be observed in The Feast Celebratfon'-
a beautiful composition-and The Ferry
Boat" q triptych, and an extraordinary
fine example. The first colored prints which
ever reached Europe are supposed TO have
been works of Utamaro He was the son
of an artist of distinction but lived a dissos
u.
age of fifty-three, after many hardships and
yet many successes. His lines are ALWAYS
graceful and artistic, his coloring exquisite
ly harmonious, and none, it is said. ever
pictured the low-caste Japanese women as
he.
Next in order comes the work OF Hokusai
the most famous exponent of this school
all acknowledged master in all parts of the
world. Ten examples of his work are
shown, not including his book Illustrations
which will be spoken of later There seems
to have been no limit to his versa tility, and
yet of all the print makers his was perhaps
the most potent personality. Regardless of
subject or varying treatment q Hokusai print
possesses marked individuality. Note, for
example, his Man Fishing" one of the
.hirty-six views of Mt Full, the "Persim-
mon and the Grasshopper." the Fish in
Pot Ready for Cooking and his Lady
Playing Musical Instrument" each is in
q different manner and yet all assert the
same esthetic feeling and mastery of
technique; or. perhaps more correctly, dis
regard of technical difficulties 1t is seldom
that one will see more graphic interpre-
tation of motion or a better presentatio of
a realistic scene than in his wind Storm"
which is included in this collection. He was
u prolific producer and in his later days
was nicknamed "the old man. mad about
drawing" Like our own Wyant when