Ukiyo-e

The art of the ukiyo means painting of the floating world. It originated in the metropolis of Edo today's Tokyo during a period in which military power was in the hands of the shoguns, and the country was isolated from the rest of the world.   This art is connected with the pleasures of the theatres, restaurants, tea houses, Geisha and courtesans of the largest city of the time. The origin of the name suggests sadness and life . This pictorial current flourished in a time of peace and prosperity in the 17th century, Some artists made wood prints, which were an economic alternative which provided that somebody had access to these paintings. These works became known as Brocade prints.