Japanese

Short history of Japanese art postcards * After the use of private postcards was admitted in 1900,postcards became very popular in accordance with the popularization of literature. Through a magazine called "Postcard literature" published by "Japanese postcard association",a big publishing company HAKUBUNKAN sold a lot of art postcards and contributed to find Japanese artists and spread of postcards. In prized postcard literature,there were the items such as general style (comment,flowery prose,sketching,correspondence.),Chinese poem,Waka(31-syllable Japanese poem),Haiku,postcard design,etc.,and much prize was paid. * Postcards of great artistic value and high quality were welcomed to rich sensitivity of Japanese. Elegant designed postcards using organic curve by Alfons M. Mucha and Rafael Kirchner,the representatives of Art Nouveau,had a big influence on many Japanese artists who went to Europe. But Japanese Ukiyo-e and Japonism did have influence on Art Nouveau,too. Based on calligraphy,writings,caricature and Ukiyo-e,Japanese postcards were refined and evolved to Japanese-own Art Nouveau and Art Deco,then became roots of modern design. * Comical picture,Animals of Zodiac,the Seven Gods of Good Fortune,etc. Magazines such as "Kokkei shinbun(comical newspaper)","Tokyo Pakku"etc. were famous and it was the time of rich idea that everything we see could be subject of design. * Evolution of wood-block prints design Wood-block prints by Hokusai,Utamaro and others are small size ones but they are detailed and rich. Tradition of wood-block print was remaining strongly back then,creative wood-block prints association held exhibitions occasionaly. * More free idea,bloom of Taisho Roman Many eminent artists like Yumeji Takehisa as a representative of emotional paintings appeared in Taisho era. * Commercial design As traffic made progress,a lot of commercial postcards like department stores and drinks etc.

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