view SLIDE SHOW on JAPANESE PRINTMAKING, EXPRESSIONISM, & IMPRESSIONISM then interpret the meaning, message, & mood of the work!
Woodcut printing is the oldest well-known graphic art. By the 7th century A.D. the Chinese had begun to make religious woodcut prints. However, Chinese artists never became print designers. Paintings of the Asian masters were copied by highly skilled cutters, but original work was never designed especially for woodcuts. The Japanese learned woodcutting from the Chinese and Koreans. But unlike Chinese prints, Japanese designs were made especially for the woodcut. One man designed the print, another cut the block, and a third printed.
What is a Print? View NYC's Museum of Modern Art website explaining it all!
