about the art

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that developed during the Edo Period (1603–1868). I'm no historian, so here are links to material from The Metropolitian Museum: Art of the Pleasure Quarters and the Ukiyo-e Style, Art of the Edo Period (1615–1868), Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style.

Speaking of the Met, all the images and data used on this website came from their collection. These prints are just a small percentage the material they've made available as part of their Open Access program.

Half a day into this project I discovered an excellent Ukiyo-e search already exists at ukiyo-e.org. There are way more more prints in that database, plus reverse image search. Basically, its superior in every way except it lacks a pretty background.

If you're curious about the contemporary state of the art, Adachi Hanga has some cool stuff on their instagram.

If you found this site fun or useful, I'd love to hear from you. Seriously, I'm curious who you are and how you got here! Make my day and email me at adamwatters11@gmail.com.