After reading about art nouveau and ukiyo-e in Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, I began to wonder about
the art movements in Japan that happened after ukiyo-e. Art is continually evolving and finding inspiration with
cultural exchange, more-so than ever in the 20th century.
Towards the end of the Meiji
era in 1912, ukiyo-e had fallen out
of favor with the populace as Western art was deemed to be more in vogue. The Taisho era is time period after the end
of the Meiji era. During this time,
Japan was rapidly modernizing and becoming more Western. As a result of this,
people began to feel nostalgic for the old and traditional Japan and art was
one of the ways this yearning became an outlet for. This art form was to be
known as shin-hanga: shin meaning “new” and hanga meaning “prints” and revitalized the
ukiyo-e art form. 
The shin-hanga movement
was singlehandedly created by a Japanese publisher called Watanabe Shozaburo in 1915. The production methods for shin-hanga were very much like that of ukiyo-e. An artist would create a sketch
and hired artisans would create the desired final product. Like ukiyo-e, favored subjects of shin-hanga were traditional themes of
landscapes, flora and fauna, gorgeous women and so on.
Yet unlike the staunchly traditional ukiyo-e, shin-hanga
is the perfect meeting between East and West. The Eastern use of contour lines
and flat colors are utilized in conjunction with Western techniques of realism
and three-dimensionality.
Impressionism also played an influential role in shin-hanga, for artists sought to create an effect of light and mood that was lacking in ukiyo-e. The result creates an alluring and ethereal piece of work that blends both Western and Eastern techniques without having to favor one over the other.
Impressionism also played an influential role in shin-hanga, for artists sought to create an effect of light and mood that was lacking in ukiyo-e. The result creates an alluring and ethereal piece of work that blends both Western and Eastern techniques without having to favor one over the other.
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