Shin Hanga
The Hanga Gallery is a remarkable online collection of 20th century woodblock prints, specializing in shin hanga, or modern Japanese prints.
The well-organized gallery is run by Robin Devereux and showcases a great variety of artists, styles, and motifs, ranging from the understatedly dramatic to the erotically sensual, and including work not only by Japanese, but also by Western artists who worked in Japan and China. Reference information complements the prints, and the gallery has a special section with prints for sale.
For some examples of the diversity and quality of the work on display, see Night at Ikenohata (1921), Desert of Mt. Mihara (1938), and Dawn at Mt. Fuji and Lake Yamanaka (1941), all by Ito Shinsui, Night Rain on Shinohashi Bridge (1926), Snow at Zozoji Temple (1953), and Hashikui Rock Kushimoto (1954), all by Kawase Hasui, and Red Canna (1954) by Fujio Yoshida.
A special section of the gallery is devoted to bijin-ga, or "prints of beautiful women". Some of the highlights include Washing the Hair (1952), and Makeup (1922), both by Ito Shinsui, Woman Combing Hair (1928) by Natori Shunsen, Woman with Kitten (ca 1930s) by Takahashi Shotei, and Combing the Hair (1933), shown above, by Torii Kotondo.
A special kind of bijin was the moga, or "modern girl", which is the motive in Kobayakawa Kiyoshi's captivating Western Style Dancing (1934).
The Hanga Gallery is a great reminder that there is more to Japanese woodblock prints than ukiyo-e, Katsushika Hokusai, and In the Hollow of a Great Wave off Kanagawa, and makes for interesting comparisons between the subjects, styles, techniques, perspectives, and colors of the traditional 17th-19th century ukiyo-e and the 20th century shin hanga.
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Miamh
Comment on April 21, 2004 at 10:55 am
Just kind of a brain dead question. Is this something you study indepth or is it just an interest? An actual reason behind the question which is hardly of interest to anyone but me and my inept mind. Thanks.
Lars Holst
Comment on April 21, 2004 at 12:05 pm
Just an interest, extending to a general interest in Japanese art. So which one is your favorite? And what is the actual reason behind your question? Have you studied the subject?
Miamh
Comment on April 21, 2004 at 9:14 pm
I've never studied the subject but my Grandfather is a Professor of Asian-Pacific studies so I was just wondering. My favourite out of the ones you showed would be the Red Canna for a number of reasons I simply won't bore you with. The reason I asked was for no trivial reason at all, just on a wanted-to-know type basis.
Lars Holst
Comment on April 21, 2004 at 11:07 pm
Aha. I wish I had a grandfather like that. The Red Canna is one of my favorites too, although I haven't seen all the prints yet.