COLOR PRINTS


Korin, who set aside the rules of formalism
and may be described as an ultra-impres-
sionist, but still one who was imbued with
classic feeling. The  Kano     and  Tosa
schools held sway for a time. Okio, whose
animals and birds are now eagerly sought
by collectors, flourished during the seven-
teenth century, but the distinctive school of
the entire period is that of Ukioye, "The
painting of the floating world," which re-
jects all ideal standards and mirrors the
passing fashions and ordinary recreations
of the people by means of the color prints
just described. These prints, which pic-
tured social and domestic life in the large
cities, were sent to the more remote towns,
and in the same manner as we now preserve
our favorite posters and book-plates, were
eagerly treasured by the people for the de-
light of the connoisseur and collector of the
present generation. This is the art of the
common people, shaped by new lines of
intellectual endeavor, namely: the great ex-
pansion of literary works, dramatization of
historic events, the founding of theatres
and the evolution of novels. Stimulated
by these resources, the people began to ex-
press themselves, their novel sensations,
their new activities. Yeddo during this
period has been compared to Paris during
the second empire.
   Up to 1765 the art of printing had been
confined to two colors with black, a green
and a pale rose or beni. Haranobu great-
ly improved and refined the art of printing,
by the introduction of a third block which
permitted the use of olives, browns and
grays. In consequence of this innovation,
a wonderful succession of fine and subtile
color passages were evolved during the next
three years. There occurred a ripening of


process, a more complete understanding of
the possibilities of the color blocks. This
was the flowering of'the Ukioye period. A
season of fine line, delicacy of tint and
broad color effects, was followed by a reac-
tion from the high refinements of color;
while clever but coarse rendering, careless
drawing and cheap printing became preva-
lent. The leader in this descent was Uta-
maro, although the downward course was
partly arrested for a time by the efforts of
that galaxy of brilliant names, Hokusai,
Hiroshigi, Toyokuni, Yeisen, and Kuna-
sada, great masters, whose productions de-
serve the most careful attention.
   Utamaro was born in 1754 and died in
1806. Extremely sensitive to line and
color, he was illiterate and dissipated. He
produced some landscapes, but his prints
are principally portraits.
   Toyokuni was born in 1768. He learned
the art of color printing and distinguished
himself by its application. He died in
1825, and is remembered by his portraits
of actors and dramatic scenes, and his il-
lustrations to novels. An artistic rivalry
existed between him    and Utamaro. If
Toyokuni would put forth illustrations to
a story, Utamaro would immediately at-
tempt the same subject with a more ideal
and romantic treatment. Where Toyo-
kuni emphasizes the humanity of his crea-
tions, Utamaro poetizes and invests them
with a refinement of idealism. Hokusai
was born in 1760, and achieved his greatest
results in color prints and illustrated books.
Of marvelous versatility and remarkable
genius, he seems never to have been aware
of this power or his supreme capabilities,
and we find him adopting different masters
and not always those of the highest artistic
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