ONNA – Beauty, Strength, Ecstasy

The exhibition which is an exceptional presentation of the subject of the Japanese woman features images and impressions from her life, both in paintings and woodblock prints. They show the unique secrets of the Floating World (Jap. ukiyo), the secrets of intimate scenes.

Depictions of this world, known as ukiyo-e, captured the sense of ephemerality and impermanence that was the essence of the Edo period (1603–1868). During that time, after years of fratricidal strife, Japan was united in peace and the country’s capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo (now Tokyo).

The exhibited works tell a tale of woman, her grace, emotions and ecstasy. They are a portrait of a timeless beauty as well as a colourful commentary on the ideal of beauty, hairstyle and fashion. At the same time, an important part of the narrative touches upon the different aspects of feminine strength: from the taming of a skittish horse to the charismatic power of women warriors leading the attack on a battlefield.

The subject here is not simply woman, but a much broader ‘idea of woman’. This enigmatic phrase is given a colourful explanation in actor prints. They portray onnagata or kabuki actors specializing in women’s roles. Raised to conduct themselves with delicate grace, the men trained in this peculiar type of acting used the means of expression available to them to convey femininity in every aspect of stage – and occasionally offstage – presentation.

Between delight and adoration, between coquetry and rejection, between submissiveness and rapture… A whole range of emotions is on display, evoked by eminent masters of the ukiyo-e genre. They include such artists as Suzuki Harunobu (1724–1770), known as the father of the polychrome woodblock print, Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815), rendering his compositions in sophisticated elongated formats, and Toyokuni (1769–1825), the founder of the Utagawa school, whose models, both women and male actors playing female roles, are given subtly slimmed-down proportions. The portraitists of feminine beauty include a renowned artist of the so-called golden age of woodblock printing, Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806), who is represented in the collection of the National Museum in Krakow by more than a hundred exceptionally valuable prints. Such masters as Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) and Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) will introduce the viewer to the metaphysical world, with its alluring, frightening and disturbing spectres and transcendent images.