HomeExhibitionsLasting Impressions: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Prints
Lasting Impressions: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Prints
For over 1,200 years, woodblock printing has been a vital force in Japanese art, giving artists a powerful means to create multiple impressions of nearly identical works. In woodblock printing, artists cut images and patterns into wooden blocks, creating shapes and lines they can ink and print numerous times. This technique’s ability to reproduce images made it essential for spreading ideas and cultural values across centuries. This exhibition highlights 38 woodblock prints created between 770 C.E. and 1970s, alongside paintings and carved woodblocks, highlighting the evolution of techniques and themes in Japanese art.
Organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Header caption: Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864). Cherry Blossoms and Three Swallows, 1800s. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. 8 ¾ x 11 1/8 inches (22.2 x 28.3 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 32-143/219.
Dharani from the Pure Immaculate Light Sutra, Japan, about 770 C.E.Woodblock print; ink on paper. 2 x 22 inches (5.1 x 55.9 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 63-5/2.Illustrated Origin and Accounts of Yūzū Nenbutsu, volume 1, Japan, 1801 or 1844. Accordion-style woodblock printed book; ink, gold, and hand-coloring on paper. Folded, overall: 2 x 13 ½ x 6 inches (5.1 x 34.3 x 15.2 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 40-13/1.
Torii Kiyonaga (Japanese, 1752–1815). Segawa, Sasano, and Takeno of the Matsubaya from the series Models for Fashion: New Year Designs as Fresh as Young Leaves, 1782. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 32-72/13.
Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). Peacock and Peonies, 1830s. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. 14 5/8 x 6 ¾ inches (37.2 x 17.2 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 32-143/315
Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). Peacock and Peonies, 1830s. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. 14 5/8 x 6 ¾ inches (37.2 x 17.2 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 32-143/315.
Hashiguchi Goyō (Japanese, 1880–1921). A Woman Combing Her Hair, 1920. Woodblock print; ink, color, and mica on paper. 17 5/8 x 13 ½ inches (44.8 x 34.3 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of Yamanaka & Co., 32-151/336.
