Topic: Ukiyo-e: Pictures of the Floating WorldDifficulty Level: ModerateSkill Level: Understand the ...

1 In Edo, the arts reflected the shogun’s rule and a Neo-Confucian philosophy.
2 In Kyoto, wealthy merchants, artists, and craftspeople recalled the styles of the earlier Heian period in style, creating the Rinpa School.
3 Artists in Kyoto were much further away from the shogun’s watchful eye and had more freedom to experiment with different art forms and styles, such as seen in Waves at Matsushima (Fig. 26-9) and the later Bull and Puppy (Fig. 26-11).
4 Woodblock prints became popular in Edo because it had the largest ukiyo-e. The commoners could not afford paintings, but they could obtain prints.