On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the Taipei National Palace Museum Southern Branch launched a major exhibition, the "Beauty of Edo Ukiyoe" special exhibition. The exhibition brings together important Ukiyoe collections from dozens of institutions in Japan and Taiwan. From Hokusai Katsushika's "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" to Utagawa Hiroshige's "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" and "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" series, it is a rare collection of Edo Ukiyoe masterpieces.
In addition to Ukiyo-e prints, the exhibition also features 218 pieces of cultural relics, including folding screens, hand scrolls, picture books, etc. Through four units, namely "Flowing Flows and Splendor", "City Time", "Tourism Fun" and "Cross-Border Exchange", it constructs the prosperous appearance of Tokyo in the Edo period and showcases the fun and charm of Edo city life.
Exhibition site (Photo source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
The word "Edo" is both time and space. In terms of time, the Edo period began in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara and officially established the Edo Shogunate, and ended in 1868 when the Meiji Restoration overthrew the shogunate. In terms of space, Edo was the old name of Tokyo before the Meiji Restoration. "Ukiyo" was originally a term used in Buddhism to describe the world. In the Edo period, due to the citizens' pursuit of a hedonistic life, Ukiyo became a key word for enjoying the present and pursuing entertainment. These fleeting good times have become a theme often depicted in Ukiyo-e, and have also become a permanent memorial to today's memories of the good life in Edo.
"Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, White Rain" by Hokusai Katsushika (1760-1849) Fuji Art Museum, Tokyo (Source: Internet)
"Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" by Hokusai Katsushika (1760-1849) Fuji Art Museum, Tokyo
During the long period of more than 250 years from 1603 to 1868, the Japanese society in the Edo period gradually stabilized. The citizens of Kyoto, Osaka, Edo and other places became the main force in creating urban culture and art, among which Edo Ukiyo-e played an important role. The themes of Ukiyo-e are extremely wide, including social current affairs, folk legends, historical anecdotes, opera scenes and illustrations of classical masterpieces. Some painters also specialize in depicting women's lives, recording war events or describing mountains and rivers... It can be said that Ukiyo-e is an encyclopedia of people's lives in the Edo period. This exhibition displays the works of many famous Japanese painters, including Hishikawa Morikasa, Suzuki Harunobu, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Kunisada, Toshusai Sharaku, Toritakasai Eishō, Keisai Eizumi, Shotei Kitaju, Kobayashi Kiyochika, etc.
Exhibition site (Photo source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
At the press conference before the exhibition, Zhu Longxing, curator of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, explained that Tokyo was once known as the "Venice of the East" and was a city full of swamps and rivers, among which the Sumida River was the "mainstream of the city". In the Edo period, the city scenery could be seen along the rivers and waterways, from the Sumida River fireworks, the Kaminarimon Gate of Sensō-ji Temple, the Kawaguchiko Fuji to the Horikiri iris season. In addition to the perspective of the Sumida River, curator Zhu Longxing specially recommended the focus of this exhibition, a work that overlooks Edo in the 17th century - the "Edo Famous Places Picture Screen" in the collection of the Idemitsu Museum of Art in Japan. The screen unfolds nearly 1,000 centimeters, showing the rich details of the various aspects of the market. It is the earliest of the three remaining brush paintings in the world. It has been listed as an "important cultural property" by Japan and will be on display until June 15.
"Edo Famous Places Picture Screen" (partial) (Source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
Assistant Researcher Wang Jianyu, co-curator of the Southern Branch Office, said that the "Fun of Travel" unit of this exhibition will display the official script version and the Hoei-do version of Utagawa Hiroshige's "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" respectively. The official script version is a treasure in the collection of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, while the Hoei-do version is Hiroshige's famous work, both of which are the focus of this exhibition. The Tokugawa Shogunate opened up five important roads with Edo as the center. Among them, the "Tokaido", the busiest transportation route connecting Edo and Kyoto, has a total of 53 post stations along the way. "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" unfolds based on the beautiful scenery of this road. The Hoei-do version depicts more natural phenomena such as "wind, rain, fog, and snow"; the official script version focuses more on tourism elements such as Mount Fuji, crossing the river, inns, and shrine visits. The two sets of works are exhibited front and back, with vivid characters and rich details, such as clothing and eating habits, which delicately outline the unique travel style of the Edo period.
In addition to Yoshiwara and bijin-e, this exhibition especially uses several treasures such as "Edo Saruwaka-cho Sanshiba" and "Theater Picture" to lead the audience to unveil the mystery of Edo Kabuki Theater, including the front, interior, and bird's-eye view of the theater, giving a glimpse of the social entertainment venues of Edo people. In addition, because the Edo Shogunate banned Kabuki, Utagawa Kuniyoshi of the cat school responded by creating works that anthropomorphized cats, such as "Popular Cat Play Road, Cat Willow Lustful Moon Shadow", and the graffiti painting "Graffiti on the Lotus Treasure Wall" that cannot be recognized at a glance. The style is humorous and deeply loved by later generations.
Works such as "Picture Book of Eastern Capital Travel" and "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Kameido Umeya" can show the interaction between Edo people and the Dutch, and by exhibiting travel notes published in Europe, present the impression of Edo from the perspective of Westerners.
Exhibition Overview:
Flowing River
Edo is the old name of Tokyo, with Edo Castle as the center of the city. From the early modern times to the present, this city has always played a central role in Japanese society, culture, art and politics. Literally, Edo means "gateway to the river".
In other words, viewing the scenery and context of the city from the river is one of the best ways to understand the landscape of Edo. This unit takes the Edo Sumida River as the theme, opening the exhibition and leading the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the overall picture of Edo.
The "Edo Famous Places Screen" collected by the Idemitsu Museum of Art in Japan is an important cultural property of Japan. It captures the various aspects of the city life depicted in the 17th century. In particular, there are very few screens depicting the urban landscape of Edo, which makes this work even more precious. The two screens on the left and right are composed of eight fan-shaped panels each. With the Sumida River as the main trunk, they connect the scenic spots of Tokyo from north to south, ranging from Ueno and Asakusa in the north, across Nihonbashi, and extending to Edo Bay and Shinagawa in the south.
In the painting, more than 2,200 citizens are active on the vast folding screen, providing viewers with a glimpse of the city scene of early Edo. In addition, because the work was completed in the early Edo period, it also allows viewers to get a glimpse of many customs rarely seen in Ukiyo-e, such as Hara Yoshiwara, Kabuki, and bathhouses.
Famous Places in Edo: Hachimi Bridge 1857 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Adachi City Folk Museum (Photo source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Hachimi Bridge" is a collection of the Adachi Ward Folk Museum in Tokyo. Under the willow trees by the river is the railing of the "Isshibashi Bridge", which is the intersection of the large moat. Looking into the distance, the "Setori-bune" (a small boat that transports goods in shallow water) transporting goods on the river is operated by two boatmen. The fishing boat on the right is erecting bamboo poles and lowering fishing nets to catch fish, while the fishing boat on the left has already pulled up the net. In the distance, Edo Castle, located at the foot of the Tanzawa Mountains and Mount Fuji, can be seen. The disparity in the composition ratio between the near and far scenes presents a compressed sense of depth.
The painting is from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo", a set of 118 prints that can be said to be the culmination of Utagawa Hiroshige's landscape painting art. It was published between February 1856 and October 1858.
City Time
This exhibition is held in the summer and covers important festivals common in East Asia, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Tanabata Festival. Although the names of the festivals are the same, Japan has its own unique celebration scenes. The exhibition content mainly presents the summer life of Edo citizens, and specially selected related themes to show the special nature of the season.
In addition to reflecting summer-specific activities, the exhibited works also feature Edo beauties, Kabuki, popular attractions such as Nihonbashi, and other themes, presenting various aspects of citizens' leisure and entertainment, creating a summer city landscape.
100 Famous Views of Edo: Ohashi, Ataka, Heavy Rain, 1857, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), National Palace Museum, Taipei (Source: Official website of the National Palace Museum, Taipei)
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Ohashi and Ataka: Sudden Rain" is collected by the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The sudden rain caught the pedestrians on the bridge off guard, and they hurriedly put on umbrellas or raincoats and quickened their pace. From the perspective of composition, all elements in the picture - including the bridge in the foreground, the bank of the Sumida River in the distance, and the boats on the water - are all oblique structures, echoing the falling rain lines, making this shower full of instant dynamics.
In addition, the hazy effect brought by the downpour made the buildings on the other side almost disappear into the background, vividly capturing the sudden moment of the rainstorm. Such a fascinating composition must have left a deep impression on Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). During his artistic career, he especially copied this work, and his brushstrokes revealed his appreciation and admiration for this painting.
The scene depicted in the painting is located at the Shin-Ohashi Bridge next to the Ryogoku Bridge in Tokyo. The name of Ataka on the other side comes from the warship Ataka Maru that was anchored there during the shogunate period.
Famous Places in Edo: Ryogoku Fireworks 1858 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) National Palace Museum, Taipei (Photo source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Ryogoku Fireworks" depicts a bunch of fireworks rising quickly into the night sky and then blooming with all their might! Compared to most paintings with the Ryogoku Fireworks as the theme, there are obviously fewer boats on the Sumida River. In addition to showing the brilliance of the fireworks, it also creates a poetic atmosphere. This work is the most famous of Utagawa Hiroshige's paintings with the theme of "Ryogoku Bridge Fireworks".
Many of Hiroshige's works were sometimes redesigned and reprinted after publication, which is called a "variant version". This work is one of them. The version in the collection of the National Palace Museum, South Branch, Taipei, surrounds the fireworks with bright lights, while the version in the collection of the Kuboso Memorial Museum in Izumi City shows fireworks flashing in the deep night sky. Although the two versions are visually different, they both leave a beautiful impression of high-altitude fireworks.
Travel Fun
In the 19th century, as the economy prospered, travel became an important activity for Edo citizens, and this craze promoted the rise of landscape-themed prints. This unit continues to present two well-known versions of Hiroshige Utagawa's "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" - the Hoeido version and the official script version. Through the transformation of forms, it provides viewers with different appreciation perspectives and illustrates the fact that Edo is the center of Japan. In addition, through travel notes published in Europe, the memories of Edo in the eyes of Westerners are displayed, further presenting the impression of Edo in the world.
Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido: Nihonbashi, circa 1833 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Adachi City Folk Museum (Photo source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
In the work "Fifty-three Stations on the Tokaido: Nihonbashi", the rising sun dyes the face of the city a reddish color, and the wooden doors on both sides of the foreground are open to welcome a new day. On the bridge, two men can be seen carrying red boxes on their shoulders and walking towards the viewer, followed by a team of people holding guns. Judging from the scene, it can be inferred that the daimyo is preparing to leave the city and return to his hometown. The fishmongers who were originally walking in the front saw this procession and moved to the left to make way for the main road for the officials to pass. Next to the fishmongers, you can see the notices and prohibitions issued by the shogunate hanging, setting the rules of life for Edo. Only dogs facing the opposite direction are exempted from this restriction, adding unexpected fun to the busy life in the morning.
Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido: Picture Book Post Station Bells 1810 Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (Source: Taipei National Palace Museum official website)
Compared to Hiroshige's use of landscape as the main axis to show the characteristics of each post station on the Tokaido, Hokusai uses characters to connect the scenic spots in various places. For example, in Hokusai Katsushika's work "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido: Picture Book Post Station Bells", in the scene of Shinagawa Station, the interaction of the prostitutes can be seen in the picture, while a vast sea is displayed outside the window, which cleverly implies the geographical feature of Shinagawa's seaside location. Mount Fuji can be seen behind the distant coastline.
According to the Edo customs chronicle "Shouzhen Sugao", Shinagawa-juku employed a large number of "rice-serving women" (もりめしおんな, もりめし女). These women were originally responsible for serving food and dishes to guests in the hatago (Japanese inn) or rice house, similar to the waitresses in modern restaurants. However, in Shinagawa-juku, these rice-serving women actually worked as prostitutes, reflecting the unique social and customary background of the area.
Cross-border communication
In addition to showing cross-regional thematic exchanges in the East Asian cultural circle, Ukiyo-e also demonstrates superb technology and creativity in its production process. Multi-color overprinting creates rich layers and exquisite colors, reflecting the painter's deep mastery of composition. With the rise of the travel boom, landscape painting themes have transcended time and space, expanding to all of Japan and even Taiwan, making Ukiyo-e a visual carrier that connects cultures from all over the world. Through these works, a dialogue between art and region has been opened, providing viewers with a diverse context and perspective to understand Edo urban culture and international exchanges.
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1831, Hokusai Katsushika (1760-1849), Fuji Art Museum, Tokyo (Source: Taipei Palace Museum official website)
Hokusai Katsushika's famous "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa" shows the huge waves in front of the painting, which almost swallowed the small boat. The fisherman in the waves rose and fell with the waves. Under the huge waves, Mount Fuji can be seen sitting firmly in the center of the picture in the distance, showing the beauty of the fusion of movement and stillness. As one of the most representative works in the history of Japanese art, the new 2024 1,000 yen Japanese currency uses this as a representative image, which shows its important cultural status. It is particularly worth mentioning that Van Gogh particularly appreciated the composition of the painting and described the huge waves as "eagle claws", which made this work have an important influence in the history of world art since the late 19th century.
This painting is a representative of the maturity of multi-color overprinting technology, which was completed by multiple printings. It reviews the process of overprinting of Ukiyo-e, from the monochrome "ink-folding-e" to the multi-color "brocade-e", and went through the stages of "red-e" and "red-folding-e", until Suzuki Harunobu established the "brocade-e" in 1765. This work breaks through tradition and uses the chemical dye "Berlin blue" (Prussian blue) introduced from the West to replace plant-based pigments, opening a new chapter in the dialogue between Ukiyo-e and the Western world.
