AHY 3307 - The World of Ukiyo-c and the Japanese

This course will focus on the Edo Period in Japan (ca. 1600 to 1868) during which the arts of the kabuki theatre and the woodblock print developed side by side and reached a flowering by the middle of the 18th century.  The relationships between the pleasure quarters in Edo and Kyoto, the rise of theatre, and the origins and development of the wood block print will be examined, with special focus on the actor prints and landscape prints by major artists of the period.  The course will also focus on the cultural, historical, political and religious setting of the Edo Period, with an examination of the roles played by actors, women, and artists within the rich setting of city life.
Prerequisites/Co-requisites International Nonwestern