The Kaliningrad art gallery presented engravings of the great Japanese masters of woodcut

KALININGRAD. Thanks to the St. Petersburg art center located in the Perin rows. Kaliningrad art lovers have the opportunity to meet with the works of Japanese artists. The exposition of the exhibition from St. Petersburg was opened on June 3 in the hall of the city’s art gallery.

The poster in large print, reminiscent of Japanese characters, printed its name - "The Golden Age of Japanese Graphics." A little below the subtitle, filled with a slight nostalgia - "Pictures of the elusive world." These words in Japanese sound like "ukiyo-e." So in Japan they call the graphics created in the 17-19 centuries, called the Edo era.

This concept is included in the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, where it emphasizes the insignificance of vanishing moments, and the need to be able to enjoy moments of quickly passing time. The color engraving created by Japanese masters in other Far Eastern countries had no analogues. In Japan of that time, this type of engraving became super popular.

Woodcut masters used a wide variety of plots inspired by the legends of samurai battles, plays by Kabuki theaters, poetry and nature of Japan. On the engravings appeared blooming sakura and the sacred Mount Fuji with its snow-capped peaks. They were used to decorate the interior, to advertise theatrical performances and other purposes.

Making woodcuts engraving was a tough job. A rare master performed it alone. Although the artist was usually considered the author of the work, but also the carver and printer worked on the creation of the engraving, and the size of the printed run was determined by the publisher, who decided what the demand for the engraving would be for the buyers.

The poster of the exhibition, open until July 24, presents the names of the engraving authors who are in its exposition.

Ludmila Trautmane © Gallerix.ru