A special exhibition -- The Floating Image of the Edo Period -- Japanese Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints was inaugurated at Changzhou Museum on March 27.

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished mainly in the middle and late Edo period (17th-19th century) of Japan. Celebrated for its unique and distinctive aesthetics, Ukiyo-e has become Japan’s most well-known and typical art style, and has exerted significant influence on Western modern art. Ukiyo-e artists depict various aspects of secular life, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. The subjects include female beauties, customs, landscapes, flora and fauna.

The exhibition is jointly hosted by Changzhou Museum, Hubei Provincial Museum, Sigillvm Cultural and Art Company Italy and Italy-China (Beijing) International Culture Communication Co., Ltd. The exhibits come from the precious collection of Adriano Màdaro, a journalist and sinologist with great interest and in-depth research on East Asia culture.

Two sets of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)’s masterpieces --Thirty-Six Views of Mount FujiandThe Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō-- will be exhibited in two phases from March 27 to May 5 and from May 8 to June 6.

The prints exhibited are fine examples of Japanese traditional craftsmanship during 1919-1971, which not only reproduce the artistic characteristics of the heyday of Ukiyo-e art, but are also the perfect portrayal of the scenery and customs in the Edo period.

Changzhou Museum will also hold Ukiyo-e art-related activities and lectures open to the public.