Ukiyo-e Exhibition at Palazzo Braschi in Rome

Palazzo Braschi in Rome hosts 'Il mondo fluttuante. Ukiyoe. Visioni dal Giappone', an exhibition of 150 ukiyo-e prints by masters including Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusai, and Hiroshige. Hokusai's iconic 'Great Wave off Kanagawa' from 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' is a highlight. Ukiyo-e, meaning 'pictures of the floating world', emerged during the Edo period (1603–1868) under Tokugawa rule, when Japan was closed to the outside world. The merchant class, despite low social status, grew wealthy and patronized art, leading to a culture of pleasure in Edo's entertainment districts. The exhibition is curated by Rossella Menegazzo and organized into seven sections covering female beauty, performing arts, daily life, entertainment, and landscapes. It explores the technique of woodblock printing, imported from China, which enabled mass production. Prussian blue, available from 1829, was used in Hokusai's wave. The show runs at Palazzo Braschi, overlooking Piazza Navona.