Perspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening Night

Perspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening Night

Utagawa Toyoharu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Like Broadway in New York, the Sakaichō and Fukiyachō quarters were the center of Edo's theater district, which was particularly lively on the night of kaomise, the opening performances of the Kabuki season. Toyoharu’s predecessor, Okumura Masanobu (1686–1764), is credited as the first Japanese artist to create prints using one-point perspective (uki-e) in depicting interior space. Toyoharu, founder of the Utagawa school, was the first to master the device to depict outdoor scenes in ukiyo-e prints and paintings.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Perspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening NightPerspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening NightPerspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening NightPerspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening NightPerspective Print (Uki-e) of the Theaters in Sakaichō and Fukiyachō on Opening Night

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.