Mitate-e

In Japanese art, mitate-e (見立絵) is a subgenre of ukiyo-e that employs allusions, puns, and incongruities, often to parody classical art or events.

The term derives from two roots: mitateru (見立る, "to liken one thing to another")[lower-alpha 1] and e (絵, "picture"). The mitate technique arose first in poetry and became prominent during the Heian period (794–1185). Haiku poets revived the technique during the Edo period (1603–1868), from which it spread to the other arts of the era.[1] Such works typically employ allusions, puns, and incongruities, and frequently recall classical artworks.[2]

In the context of ukiyo-e, mitate-e is often translated into English as "parody picture".[1] This usage of the term arose much later; the term itself was used in different ways during the Edo period. Those works today called mitate-e used different labels at the time, such as fūryū (風流, "elegant" or "fashionable")[3] which appeared frequently in the 18th century on works by Okumura Masanobu (1686–1764) and Suzuki Harunobu (1725–1770).[4]

Notes
  1. Mitateru has a number of other meanings not relevant to mitate-e.[1]

References
  1. Clark 1997, p. 7.
  2. Clark 1997, pp. 9–10.
  3. Clark 1997, p. 11.
  4. Clark 1997, p. 12.

Works cited
  • Clark, Timothy T. (1997). "Mitate-e: Some Thoughts, and a Summary of Recent Writings". Impressions. The Japanese Art Society of America (19): 6–27. JSTOR 42597780.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Media related to Mitate-e at Wikimedia Commons
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