By maxinpower on Skatehive
Today, we're treating ourselves to another ukiyo-e picture. This Japanese art form reached its peak during the Edo period and was best known for its colorful woodblock prints and drawings, which are still very popular today. The Library of Congress has collected a large number of these woodblock prints and made them available in digital form on its website. Fortunately, these images are not subject to copyright, so I am able to share them with you from time to time here in this blog. Today's woodblock print depicts groups of women enjoying hanami in Ueno Park—one of the most famous places for cherry blossom viewing in the Edo period. The scene dates from the late 1700s and was created by Katsukawa Shunzan, an artist of the early ukiyo-e school. The women wear magnificent kimonos and move through the blossoming cherry trees with a mixture of grace and everydayness. The composition emphasizes not only the beauty of nature, but also the social rituals and fashionable details of the time.