Edo Woodblock Printing

This course provides an introduction to Japanese art and cultural history through a survey of woodblock print media from its emergence in the mid-17th century to the end of the early modern era. Topics for consideration include East Asian pictorial traditions, the publishing industry, censorship, social identity, and specialist print communities. The course will track the development of Japanese woodblock printing from its origins in printed books and monochrome prints, and the transition to hand-coloring and multi-colored printing that facilitated a highly nuanced media form, via the publishing industry’s shifting relationship with the authorities, and influences from China and the West.