6G

6G (Ukiyo) represents an alternative way of producing a contemporary ‘picture of the floating world’ somewhat divorced from the Edo tradition, and regarded through western goggles.

The woman is floating weightlessly underwater in a golden dress lit in various water refractions from the light. She swims among koi. In Japan the beautiful fish are symbols of good fortune, luck and abundance. They are associated with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose and are said to swim up waterfalls.

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced their art mainly in woodblock prints and secondarily as paintings. Their choice of motifs varied. But popular subjects were female beauties. The genre was also inclined to show kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers as well as scenes from history and folk tales; along with surprisingly inventive erotica.

The style of art astonished many western artists for its bold and unusual compositions that ought not work in terms of academic art dogma, but clearly did. Japonisme soon became a prominent trend that had a strong influence on the early Impressionists. Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Claude Monet were all influenced. You could also add Post-Impressionists such as Vincent van Gogh to the list as well as the Art Nouveau artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha.

Find more paintings in the series Misc.

Title/Titel/Titel/Títolo #6G, Acrylic and oil on canvas/ Akryl und Öl auf Leinwand/Akryl og olie på lærred/acrílico e óleo sobre tela 200x200cm.

Sold by Galleri Habsø A/S in 2020.