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The Allure of ‘Beauty Looking Back’ in Ukiyo-e

The Allure of ‘Beauty Looking Back’ in Ukiyo-e

What accounts for the enduring popularity of “Beauty Looking Back”? This celebrated work by Hishikawa Moronobu is a cornerstone in the history of bijinga (portraits of beautiful women).

The history of ukiyo-e is closely intertwined with the Eh-doh period, reflecting both the public’s sentiment and advances in technology. Let us explore the remarkable journey of ten ukiyo-e artists who thrived over those 300 years.

The pose of the “Beauty Looking Back” became so admired that it even inspired haikai poetry.

Following the Azuchi-Momoyama and Warring States periods, Tokugawa Ieyasu united the nation and established the shogunate in Edo in 1603.

With peace restored, the lives of the common people improved, and the vibrant culture of Edo’s townspeople began to flourish.

Tired of the literature from Kyoto, once the cultural heart of Japan, Edo’s residents paved the way for the rise of popular art and culture, including the creation of jihon, a type of print book.

 

 

 

Hishikawa Moronobu, ‘Mikaeri Bijin-zu’ in a silk scroll, 1 panel, Genroku (1688-1704), Early Period, 63.2×31cm, Tokyo National Museum

 

Until that time, the responsibility for art and culture lay with the privileged ruling classes. However, in the Edo period, for the first time in Japanese history, the townspeople became the bearers of cultural expression.

Leading this movement was Hishikawa Moronobu, whose name first appeared in illustrations for jihon.

Moronobu is most renowned for his meticulously hand-painted Mikaeri Bijin-zu (Beauty Looking Back), a work that remained out of reach for the general public due to its high cost.

 

At the same time, Moronobu also produced affordable printed works, including illustrated books, depictions of famous places, and pillow pictures.

His favorite subjects were the pleasure districts and theater quarters, considered the “two worst places” at the time—mysterious, alluring worlds that ordinary people longed to see. Through inexpensive prints, Moronobu’s ukiyo-e captivated the hearts of the masses.

Okumura Masanobu, ‘Shibai Kyogen Ukie Kongen’, large format lacquer painting, Kanpo 3 (1743), 32.4 x 45.9 cm, photo courtesy of Bridgeman Images (PPS News Agency)

 

The Rise of Ukiyo-e and Moronobu’s Legacy

The term ukiyo (the transient, fleeting world) originated from the word ukiyo (a sorrowful, melancholic world), and it was this notion of embracing life’s impermanence that resonated with the people of Edo.

This ethos gave rise to ukiyo-e, which began with Moronobu and continued to inspire countless artists. The first of these was Okumura Masanobu, a self-taught artist who maintained a dominant position in the art world for 50 years.

 

Masanobu’s most notable accomplishment was his creation of ōkie (large-scale ukiyo-e), which depicted detailed scenes of theaters using Western-style perspective.

These grand ukiyo-e prints, which showcased not only actors but entire theater interiors, earned acclaim for their lifelike sense of depth and space.

Masanobu was also a master of innovation, introducing the hashira-e, long, narrow paintings of beautiful women and actors designed to be displayed on room pillars.

 

Suzuki Harunobu ‘Kasamori Osen’, medium-sized nishiki-e, circa Meiwa 2-7 (late 18th century), photo courtesy of Bridgeman Images (PPS News Agency)

 

As ukiyo-e evolved, it moved from the monochromatic sumizuri-e to tan-e, which featured orange coloring, and later to beni-e or benizuri-e, using vegetable dyes.

Under Suzuki Harunobu, a significant shift occurred with the development of nishiki-e (brocade prints), characterized by richly colored woodblock prints.

 

The Golden Age of Bijinga

Harunobu, a revolutionary in ukiyo-e, excelled at portraying slender, graceful women in his bijinga. One of his most famous works is a portrait of Kasamori Osen, a teahouse waitress whose beauty became so legendary that admirers would flock to the teahouse to catch a glimpse of her. Ukiyo-e also played a pioneering role in advertising.

 

Even after Harunobu’s death, the Edo public’s enthusiasm for portraits of beautiful women continued to grow. It was in this climate that Torii Kiyonaga emerged, painting groundbreaking images of women with elongated, eight-headed figures.

Unlike Harunobu’s depictions of delicate girls, Kiyonaga’s lively portrayals of working women quickly made him a popular figure.

However, in later years, Kiyonaga shifted his focus from painting women to depicting actors, and the mantle of star bijinga artist passed to the next generation.

 

In the mid-Edo period, Chobunsai Eishi was one of the new stars who rose to prominence during ukiyo-e’s peak in the late 18th century.

Eishi, an eccentric samurai from the Hatamoto class, was passionate about ukiyo-e and studied under Kiyonaga’s patronage.

His highly stylized depictions of women, known as Eishi Bijin, embodied idealized beauty, but over time, he too moved away from this genre. Eventually, it was Kitagawa Utamaro who claimed the spotlight.

 

Although now famous, Utamaro initially struggled to gain recognition, as the younger Eishi had overshadowed him.

However, with the support of the influential publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō, Utamaro pioneered the ōkubie technique, breaking with convention by focusing on close-up portraits that emphasized not just the face but also the flowing beauty of a woman’s hair.

 

Torii Kiyonaga, ‘Toseiyuribijinawase Tatsumien (当世遊里美人合 辰巳艶) ’, large-format nishiki-e, 1 piece, Tenmei 24 (17821784), 38.2×25.1, Edo Tokyo Museum collection

 

These portraits quickly became iconic, and Utamaro’s popularity soon eclipsed that of Eishi. Under Tsutaya’s production, Utamaro created a series of masterpieces, including Fujin Sōgaku Jittai, and reigned as the top bijinga artist for a decade.

However, his career ended abruptly after he was punished for creating a work that violated shogunate law, leading to his retreat from the public eye.

 

Utamaro’s success coincided with the rise of a new form of ukiyo-e, known as ōkubie (large-headed portraits). His portraits were revolutionary not only for their composition, but also for their ability to convey subtle expressions and emotions, a departure from earlier depictions of idealized beauty.

These close-up portraits became synonymous with the genre of bijinga, and Utamaro's fame spread far and wide, surpassing even that of his contemporaries.

 

Despite Utamaro’s eventual decline after his punishment, his contributions to ukiyo-e remained undeniable.

His works, under the guidance of Tsutaya Jūzaburō, set the stage for future ukiyo-e artists and established bijinga as a key genre within the art form.

After Utamaro, other artists like Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige expanded the ukiyo-e tradition, introducing landscape prints and further pushing the boundaries of artistic innovation.

Their works not only resonated with the people of Edo but also captivated audiences around the world, particularly in the West, where ukiyo-e would later influence European artists like Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The history of ukiyo-e, from its early beginnings with Hishikawa Moronobu to its golden age under Utamaro and beyond, reflects a dynamic interplay between artistic innovation and the changing tastes of Edo society.

As the art form evolved, it embraced a wide range of subjects, from beautiful women and kabuki actors to landscapes and historical scenes.

Through it all, the essence of ukiyo-e remained rooted in the celebration of life’s fleeting moments, capturing both the beauty and the impermanence of the world in vivid, expressive detail.

Today, Mikaeri Bijin-zu (Beauty Looking Back) stands as a timeless symbol of Edo-period elegance, and the legacy of ukiyo-e continues to inspire artists and art lovers alike.

 

Chobunsai Eishi, ‘Seirou Bijin Rokkasen Shizutamaya Shizuka (青楼美人六花仙 静玉屋志津加)’, large-format nishiki-e, 1 piece, Kansei 5-6 (1793-1794), (37.9 x 25.4 cm), photo courtesy of Bridgeman Images (PPS News Agency)

 

 

 

As ukiyo-e transitioned into its later stages, the influence of landscape and nature-themed works became more prominent, particularly through the artistry of Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.

Hokusai's iconic Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, featuring the renowned The Great Wave off Kanagawa, magnificently showcased the majesty of nature, moving beyond the genre’s earlier focus on urban life and depictions of beautiful women.

This shift reflected not only a broadening of artistic themes but also a response to the increasing interest from international audiences.

 

Hiroshige, often regarded as Hokusai’s counterpart, further refined the landscape genre with his celebrated series, The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō, which captured the scenic beauty of travel routes and the rhythms of daily life in Edo Japan.

His works were admired for their delicate compositions and atmospheric perspectives, evoking a deep sense of both tranquility and vibrancy in the natural world.

 

As ukiyo-e began to decline in popularity towards the end of the Edo period, its influence on Western art was just starting to take hold.

European artists, particularly those associated with the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements, were profoundly inspired by the bold lines, vivid colors, and unique perspectives of ukiyo-e.

Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Edgar Degas were particularly drawn to the genre, each incorporating its elements into their own works—Van Gogh with its use of color, Monet with its treatment of nature, and Degas with his focus on capturing fleeting moments.

 

Kitagawa Utamaro, ‘Fujin Sogaku Jutai Uwakinoso (婦人相学十躰 浮気之相)’, large-format nishiki-e, 1 piece, Kansei (1789-1801), pre-production period, 37.7×24.3cm, photo courtesy of Bridgeman Images (PPS News Agency)

 

This cross-cultural exchange underscores the enduring impact of ukiyo-e, which not only served as a quintessential expression of Edo-period culture but also played a significant role in shaping modern art across the globe.

 

Today, the legacy of Hishikawa Moronobu and the masters who followed him continues to be celebrated in museums and private collections worldwide.

Their works, which once brought the beauty of daily life to the common people of Edo, still captivate and inspire audiences, reminding us of the fleeting beauty that ukiyo-e so brilliantly sought to immortalize.

 

This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/rock/art-rock/1263/

 

 


 

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