benizuri-e　紅摺絵

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Primitive polychrome woodblock prints in *ukiyo-e 浮世絵. Appeared after *urushi-e 漆絵 and preceded *nishiki-e 錦絵. At first only *beni 紅 and green were used, but later a few colors like yellow, indigo, and brown were added. The technique of coloring the woodblock comes originally from the Chinese technique of woodblock printing, which originated in the Enkyou 延享 era (1744-48). Ishikawa Toyonobu 石川豊信 (1711-85) and Torii Kiyomitsu 鳥居清満 (1725-85) are among the main artists who created benizuri-e. The technique was called *beni-e 紅絵 at the time, but benizuri-e is currently used to distinguish the two similar techniques. The coloring of woodblocks was common from about the Kan'ei 寛永 era (1624-44) in Japan, and was extensively employed in China at the time. In ukiyo-e prints, coloring was intruded between about the Houei 宝永 and Shotoku 正徳 eras (1704-15) and was used for illustration in the writings of haikai 俳諧 in the Kyouhou 享保 era (1716-36), but these were trial efforts. Color became general for ukiyo-e woodblocks from about the Kanpou 寛保 era (1741-44). Benizuri-e is particularly significant in the development of nishiki-e. This meant the addition of yellow and green to beni; then deeper colors like indigo *ai 藍, and brown were added, creating complex works using five colors. In addition to the artists mentioned above, famous print makers who created benizuri-e include: Okumura Masanobu 奥村政信 (1686-1764), Torii Kiyonobu 鳥居清信 (1664-1729), Torii Kiyomasu 鳥居清倍 (fl. early 18c), Torii Kiyohiro 鳥居清広, Torii Kiyotsune 鳥居清経, Kitao Shigemasu 北尾重政 (1739−1820), and Suzuki Harunobu 鈴木春信 (1725-70).

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