Shin hanga
Encyclopedia
was an art movement
in early 20th-century Japan
, during the Taishō
and Shōwa period
s, that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e
art rooted in the Edo
and Meiji period
s (17th–19th century). It maintained the traditional ukiyo-e collaborative system (hanmoto system) where the artist, carver, printer, and publisher engaged in division of labor, as opposed to the sōsaku hanga
(creative prints) movement which advocated the principles of "self-drawn" (jiga), "self-carved" (jikoku) and "self-printed" (jizuri), according to which the artist, with the desire of expressing the self, is the sole creator of art.
The term shin hanga was coined in 1915 by Watanabe Shōzaburō
(1885-1962), the most important publisher of shin hanga, with the aim of differentiating shin hanga from the commercial mass art that ukiyo-e had been, though it was driven largely by exports to the United States. The movement flourished from around 1915 to 1942, though it resumed briefly from 1946 through the 1950s. Inspired by European Impressionism
, the artists incorporated Western elements such as the effects of light and the expression of individual moods, but focused on strictly traditional themes of landscapes (fukeiga), famous places (meishō), beautiful women (bijinga
), kabuki
actors (yakusha-e
), and birds and flowers (kachōga
).
in Ohio. They were the largest showcases of shin hanga prints at the time.
Ironically, there was not much domestic market for shin hanga prints in Japan. Ukiyo-e prints were considered by the Japanese as mass commercial products, as opposed to the European view of ukiyo-e as fine art
during the climax of Japonisme. After decades of modernization
/Westernization
during the Meiji
era, architecture
, art and clothing in Japan came to follow Western modes. Japanese art students were trained in the Western tradition. Western oil paintings (yōga
) were considered high art and received official recognition from the Bunten (The Ministry of Education Fine Arts Exhibition). Shin hanga prints, on the other hand, were considered as a variation of the outdated ukiyo-e. They were dismissed by the Bunten and were subordinated under oil paintings and sculptures.
(1883-1957) produced dreamlike qualities in their prints, yearning for rural roots and the warm wooden architecture that was disappearing in urban Tokyo.
, shin hanga artists produce hybrids that combine modern design with traditional subjects. The use of naturalistic light, colored lines, soft colors, 3-dimensionality, deep space are artistic innovations that break with the ukiyo-e tradition.
movement (creative print movement) that began in the 1910s. While sōsaku hanga artists advocated the principles of "self-drawn" (jiga), "self-carved" (jikoku) and "self-printed" ([jizuri), according to which the artist engages in artistic expression by involving himself in all stages of the printmaking
process, shin hanga artists continued to collaborate with carvers, printers and publishers in print production. At the core of the shin hanga and sōsaku hanga dichotomy is the debate of what constitutes a creative print or pure art. Shin hanga artists and publishers believed that their works were as creative as those produced by sōsaku hanga artists. In 1921, Watanabe Shōzaburō even used the term shinsaku-hanga ("new made prints") to emphasize the creative aspects of shin hanga.
In a larger context, the dichotomy between shin hanga and sōsaku hanga was but one of many tensions in the Japanese art scene during decades of modernization, Westernization and internationalization
. Parallel to the shin-hanga/sōsaku-hanga antagonism was the polarization between Japanese paintings (nihonga
) and Western paintings (yōga
), along with the flowering of many artistic currents such as futurism
, avant-garde
, proletarian art, and the mingei
(folk art) movement, all of which were actively seeking a voice in the art scene in the period from 1910 to 1935 before the rise of militarism
in Japan.
. Instead, sōsaku hanga
emerged as the genuine heir of the ukiyo-e woodblock tradition and enjoyed immense popularity and prestige in the international art scene.
Art movement
An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a restricted period of time, or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined within a number of years...
in early 20th-century Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, during the Taishō
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
and Shōwa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
s, that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
art rooted in the Edo
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
s (17th–19th century). It maintained the traditional ukiyo-e collaborative system (hanmoto system) where the artist, carver, printer, and publisher engaged in division of labor, as opposed to the sōsaku hanga
Sosaku hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. It advocated the principles of "self-drawn" , "self-carved" and "self-printed" art, stressing the artist, motivated by a desire for self-expression, as the sole creator...
(creative prints) movement which advocated the principles of "self-drawn" (jiga), "self-carved" (jikoku) and "self-printed" (jizuri), according to which the artist, with the desire of expressing the self, is the sole creator of art.
The term shin hanga was coined in 1915 by Watanabe Shōzaburō
Watanabe Shozaburo
was a Japanese print publisher and the driving force behind the Japanese printmaking movement known as shin hanga . He started his career working for the export company of Kobayashi Bunshichi, which gave him an opportunity to learn about exporting art prints...
(1885-1962), the most important publisher of shin hanga, with the aim of differentiating shin hanga from the commercial mass art that ukiyo-e had been, though it was driven largely by exports to the United States. The movement flourished from around 1915 to 1942, though it resumed briefly from 1946 through the 1950s. Inspired by European Impressionism
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
, the artists incorporated Western elements such as the effects of light and the expression of individual moods, but focused on strictly traditional themes of landscapes (fukeiga), famous places (meishō), beautiful women (bijinga
Bijinga
Bijinga , is a generic term for pictures of beautiful women in Japanese art, especially in woodblock printing of the ukiyo-e genre, which predate photography...
), kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actors (yakusha-e
Yakusha-e
Yakusha-e , often referred to as "actor prints" in English, are Japanese woodblock prints or, rarely, paintings, of kabuki actors, particularly those done in the ukiyo-e style popular through the Edo period and into the beginnings of the 20th century...
), and birds and flowers (kachōga
Bird-and-flower painting
Bird-and-flower painting is a kind of Chinese painting named after its subject matter. Normally, most bird-and-flower paintings belong to the scholar-artist style of Chinese painting....
).
Shin hanga Creative Peak: Early 1920s
Shin hanga prints were directed to a Western audience largely through Western patronage and art dealers such as Robert O. Muller (1911-2003). Directed primarily to foreign markets, shin hanga prints appealed to Western taste for nostalgic and romanticized views of Japan. Shin hanga prints flourished and enjoyed immense popularity overseas. In the 1920s, there were articles on shin hanga in the International Studio, the Studio, the Art News and the Art Digest magazines. In 1921, a Shinsaku-hanga Tenrankai (New Creative Print exhibition) was held in Tokyo. One hundred and fifty works by ten artists were exhibited. In 1930 and 1936, two major shin hanga exhibitions were held at the Toledo Museum of ArtToledo Museum of Art
The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio, United States. The museum was founded by Toledo glassmaker Edward Drummond Libbey in 1901, and moved to its present location, a Greek revival building designed by Edward B....
in Ohio. They were the largest showcases of shin hanga prints at the time.
Ironically, there was not much domestic market for shin hanga prints in Japan. Ukiyo-e prints were considered by the Japanese as mass commercial products, as opposed to the European view of ukiyo-e as fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
during the climax of Japonisme. After decades of modernization
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
/Westernization
Westernization
Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
during the Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
era, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, art and clothing in Japan came to follow Western modes. Japanese art students were trained in the Western tradition. Western oil paintings (yōga
Yoga (art)
or literally "Western-style paintings" is a term used to describe paintings by Japanese artists that have been made in accordance with Western traditional conventions, techniques and materials...
) were considered high art and received official recognition from the Bunten (The Ministry of Education Fine Arts Exhibition). Shin hanga prints, on the other hand, were considered as a variation of the outdated ukiyo-e. They were dismissed by the Bunten and were subordinated under oil paintings and sculptures.
Subject Matter and Technique
The nostalgic and romanticized views of Japan that shin hanga artists offered reveal the ways artists perceive their own environment in the midst of transformation. Most shin hanga landscape prints (which constitute seventy percent of shin hanga prints) feature places that are obscure and tranquil. Artists such as Kawase HasuiKawase Hasui
was a prominent Japanese painter of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and one of the chief printmakers in the shin hanga movement.Kawase studied ukiyo-e and Japanese style painting at the studio of Kaburagi Kiyokata...
(1883-1957) produced dreamlike qualities in their prints, yearning for rural roots and the warm wooden architecture that was disappearing in urban Tokyo.
Shin hanga vs. Ukiyo-e
Shin hanga is often defined as "neo-ukiyo-e" under the shadow of the ukiyo-e tradition. While shin hanga prints retain much of the ukiyo-e tradition in terms of subject matter, they reveal vastly different techniques and sensibilities. Inspired by Western RealismRealism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
, shin hanga artists produce hybrids that combine modern design with traditional subjects. The use of naturalistic light, colored lines, soft colors, 3-dimensionality, deep space are artistic innovations that break with the ukiyo-e tradition.
Shin hanga vs. Sōsaku hanga
The shin hanga movement is often defined in opposition to the sōsaku hangaSosaku hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. It advocated the principles of "self-drawn" , "self-carved" and "self-printed" art, stressing the artist, motivated by a desire for self-expression, as the sole creator...
movement (creative print movement) that began in the 1910s. While sōsaku hanga artists advocated the principles of "self-drawn" (jiga), "self-carved" (jikoku) and "self-printed" ([jizuri), according to which the artist engages in artistic expression by involving himself in all stages of the printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
process, shin hanga artists continued to collaborate with carvers, printers and publishers in print production. At the core of the shin hanga and sōsaku hanga dichotomy is the debate of what constitutes a creative print or pure art. Shin hanga artists and publishers believed that their works were as creative as those produced by sōsaku hanga artists. In 1921, Watanabe Shōzaburō even used the term shinsaku-hanga ("new made prints") to emphasize the creative aspects of shin hanga.
In a larger context, the dichotomy between shin hanga and sōsaku hanga was but one of many tensions in the Japanese art scene during decades of modernization, Westernization and internationalization
Internationalization
In economics, internationalization has been viewed as a process of increasing involvement of enterprises in international markets, although there is no agreed definition of internationalization or international entrepreneurship...
. Parallel to the shin-hanga/sōsaku-hanga antagonism was the polarization between Japanese paintings (nihonga
Nihonga
or literally "Japanese-style paintings" is a term used to describe paintings that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials...
) and Western paintings (yōga
Yoga (art)
or literally "Western-style paintings" is a term used to describe paintings by Japanese artists that have been made in accordance with Western traditional conventions, techniques and materials...
), along with the flowering of many artistic currents such as futurism
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...
, avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
, proletarian art, and the mingei
Mingei
', the Japanese folk art movement, was developed in the late 1920s and 1930s in Japan. Its founding father was Yanagi Sōetsu .-Origins:In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of a curiosity for Korean crafts...
(folk art) movement, all of which were actively seeking a voice in the art scene in the period from 1910 to 1935 before the rise of militarism
Militarism
Militarism is defined as: the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests....
in Japan.
Decline of Shin hanga
Shin hanga declined as the military government tightened its control over the arts and culture during wartime. In 1939, the Army Art Association was established under the patronage of the Army Information Section to promote war art. By 1943, an official commission for war painting was set up and artists’ materials were rationed. Overseas market for Japanese prints declined drastically at the same time. Shin hanga never regained its momentum in postwar JapanPostwar Japan
Postwar Japan refers to the period in Japanese history immediately following the end of World War II in 1945 to the present day. Before and during the war Japan was known as an empire but is now officially the .-Occupation and democratization:...
. Instead, sōsaku hanga
Sosaku hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. It advocated the principles of "self-drawn" , "self-carved" and "self-printed" art, stressing the artist, motivated by a desire for self-expression, as the sole creator...
emerged as the genuine heir of the ukiyo-e woodblock tradition and enjoyed immense popularity and prestige in the international art scene.
Notable artists
- Itō ShinsuiIto Shinsui, was the pseudonym of a Nihonga painter and ukiyo-e woodblock print artist in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. He was one of the great names of the shin hanga art movement, which revitalized the traditional art after it began to decline with the advent of photography in the early 20th century. His...
- Kawase HasuiKawase Hasuiwas a prominent Japanese painter of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and one of the chief printmakers in the shin hanga movement.Kawase studied ukiyo-e and Japanese style painting at the studio of Kaburagi Kiyokata...
- Hashiguchi GoyōHashiguchi Goyowas an artist in Japan.-Early life:Hashiguchi was born Hashiguchi Kiyoshi in Kagoshima Prefecture. His father Hashiguchi Kanemizu was a samurai and amateur painter in the Shijo style. His father hired a teacher in the Kano style of painting in 1899 when Kiyoshi was only ten...
- Charles W. BartlettCharles W. BartlettCharles William Bartlett was an English painter and printmaker. He studied metallurgy and worked in that field for several years. At age 23, he enrolled in the Royal Academy in London, where he studied painting and etching...
- Kaburagi KiyokataKiyokata Kaburagiwas the pseudonym of a Nihonga artist and the leading master of the bijinga genre in Taishō and Showa period Japan. His real name was Kaburagi Kenichi...
- Hirano Hakuhō
- Yoshida Hiroshi
- Ohara KosonOhara KosonOhara Koson was a Japanese painter and printmaker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the shin hanga movement....
- Torii Kotondo
- Natori ShunsenNatori Shunsenis considered by many to be the last master in the art of kabuki yakusha-e–literally, “actor pictures”. He was born in Yamanashi Prefecture, but his family settled in Tokyo shortly after his birth, and he remained there until his death in 1960....
- Takahashi Hiroaki
- Yamamura Toyonari
- Elizabeth Keith
- Fritz Capelari
- Shiro Kasamatsu
- Takeji Asano
- Koichi Okada
- Tsuchiya Koitsu
- Ota MasamitsuOta Masamitsuwas a Japanese print-maker. He was one of the masters of the shin hanga movement. His work consisted mostly of kabuki actor prints that emphasized the individual personality of the actors, showcased through rich colors and exquisite patterns of complex design....
(also known as Ota Gako) - Hajime Sorayama
Reference and Further Reading
- Blair, Dorothy. Modern Japanese prints: printed from a photographic reproduction of two exhibition catalogues of modern Japanese prints published by the Toledo Museum of Art in 1930-1936. Ohio: Toledo Museum of Art, 1997.
- Brown, K. and Goodall-Cristante, H. Shin-Hanga: New Prints in Modern Japan. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1996. ISBN 0-295-97517-2
- Hamanoka, Shinji. Female Image: 20th Century Prints of Japanese Beauties. Hotei Publishing 2000. ISBN 90-74822-20-7
- Jenkins, D. Images of a Changing World: Japanese Prints of the Twentieth Century. Portland: Portland Art Museum, 1983. ISBN 0-295-96137-6
- Menzies, Jackie. Modern boy, Modern Girl: Modernity in Japanese Art 1910-1935. Sydney, Australia: Art Gallery NSW, c1998. ISBN 0-7313-8900-X
- Merritt, Helen and Nanako Yamada. (1995). Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints, 1900-1975. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 10-ISBN 082481732X/13-ISBN 9780824817329; 10-ISBN 0824812867/13-ISBN 9780824812867; OCLC 247995392
- Merritt, Helen. Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: The Early Years. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press 1990. ISBN 0-8248-1200-X
- Mirviss, Joan B. Printed to Perfection: Twentieth-century Japanese Prints from the Robert O. Muller Collection. Washington D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution and Hotei Publishing 2004. ISBN 90-74822-73-8
- Newland, Amy Reigle. (2005). Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints. Amsterdam: Hotei. 10-ISBN 9074822657/13-ISBN 9789074822657; OCLC 61666175
- Smith, Lawrence. Modern Japanese Prints 1912-1989. New York, London, Paris: Cross River Press, 1994.
- Swinton, Elizabeth de Sabato. Terrific Tokyo: A panorama in Prints from the 1860s to the 1930s. Worcester: Worcester Art Museum, 1998. ISBN 0-936042-00-1
External links
- Shin hanga — Viewing Japanese Prints, a website by John Fiorillo
- Shin hanga — artelino - Art Auctions
- Side gallery of Hanga Gallery Information, print gallery,...
- Dream Worlds: Modern Japanese Prints and Paintings from the Robert O. Muller Collection (Online Exhibition)
- “What is a Print?” An excellent flash-demonstration of the printmaking process.
- www.AoiGallery.com - Shin Hanga Art Gallery
- - Robert O. Muller Information about the man behind one of the most well known collections of Shin Hanga.