Exhibition Explores Hokusai and Hiroshige's Impact on Japanese Woodblock Prints

An exhibition at the Whitworth in Manchester examines how Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige transformed art through their woodblock prints. The show highlights works created between the 17th and 20th centuries, known as ukiyo-e or 'pictures of the floating world.' These affordable prints, originally depicting kabuki actors and courtesans, made art accessible to the general public and significantly influenced artistic history. The exhibition underscores how these mass-produced images captured urban life in Tokyo and represented a shift in visual culture.