I am interested in both antiquity/traditional and contemporary art as well, and I have been interested in Ukiyoe recently. I often go to museum to see it or read books about it. I thought again that Ukiyoe is an interesting genre of paintings because there were opportunities to see Hokusai Katsushika works by chance – The Sumida Hokusai Museum (Museum), Hokusai: Old Man Crazy to Paint (Movie), Hokusai and Hiroshige―The Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji and the Fifty-three Stages of the Tōkaidō (Museum), Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai’s Daughter (Japanese TV Drama).
Today I write about what is real and how to see arts with “Fine Wind, Clear Morning” Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series by Hokusai Katsushika.
First the big point is art is a wood block print, not painting. Painting is only one thing but wood block print is able to make copies which means there are a lot of “real”. Usually the first printed 200 copies are called “Shozuri (first print)”, they are printed according to instructions of painter. Atozuri (after print) which is printed after Shozuri is printed by printer.
Nowadays the “Fine Wind, Clear Morning” is very popular, and seems also it was popular in the Edo period. According to one thesis is it was sold the most.
It means the look becomes different because wood block print is made by wood, the wood gets worn out so the line has changed. Also sometimes it reduced the process without squatting delicate blurring plates, it becomes a color of the taste of the printer, it was sold good sell colored prints. The more the number, the more “real” is produced.
There was a scene being touched about the first shot of the first print of “Red Fuji” in the movie of Hokusai: Old Man Crazy to Paint which focused on the exhibition “Hokusai the Great Wave” at British Museum. The color was very different from what I thought as “Red Fuji” before. I felt it was very beautiful and natural hue, I felt impressed by sense of Professor Hokusai even though via Movie (I’d like to see the actual print!).
I was able to see different “Red Fuji” at the same time at different museum. I tried to compare to rely on fresh memory, despite the ambiguous impression of memory but the difference in color was easy to understand. It was surprising that the red color of Mt. Fuji was particularly prominent and the impression of the whole picture was totally different.
It is okay to see it individually, but it is also interesting when it is priced.
On November 8, 2007, at Christie’s auction, it was awarded at 288,500 pounds, the world’s highest figure in prints. I guess it was one of the first print. I found some of his print on the internet, 150 pounds or 13,000 yen etc.
*There is reprinted edition other than First Print or After Print.
I think that it is no use anymore to be said that there are many fakes of Ukiyoe because there are a lot of kinds, copies and not modern art. I heard interesting thing from Ukiyoe collector and knows about wood block print very well, he told that there is a fake print even though it was reported extensively “Big news! Great discovery!”. I thought “What is real?” or “What is value?” at that time.
I think that it would be nice if I could be satisfied with what I thought, regardless of what people say, no matter what they say, people believe in own sensibility after all.
Here I introduce you helpful ways of seeing art (for me).
1. Seeing the artworks with no information, just seeing.
2. Describing what is drawn or put there without thinking or thought.
e.c. paintings: There is a man on the left, he wears a blue shirt, he is facing the front, he raises his left hand…
3. Reading your emotions coming up at that time after describing.
With this method, my emotions that spring up at that time can not be predicted, so it is very interesting. Some kind of self discovery that I feel that way. I think this feeling is similar to seeing breathes.
Moreover, there is a rock singer who expresses “What is real?” experience very well on his music.
Excerpt from ＜The Rose of Passion＞
It’s funny if it’s delusion
Things I’ve seen, heard or all I remembered
You will understand such feelingsThe answer is definitely the back
Deeply inside
Tears come from there
Deeply inside of heartー Song & writing： Hiroto Komoto
Truly! Expression that can only be said! I realized it is true! when I look at this lyric for the first time in a while.
It started with Ukiyoe and ended with a rock but I think “Old Man Crazy to Paint” Professor Hokusai was super rock person!
In the end I picked up “Red Fuji” on the web! (I hope to see actual ones though).
How do you fee?
Google Arts & Culture *I like this best from all these
Bijyutsu Techo (Japanese art magazine)
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