Utagawa Hiroshige, Night View of Saruwaka-machi, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (detail), 1856. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William S. and John T. Spaulding Collection.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Night View of Saruwaka-machi, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (detail), 1856. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William S. and John T. Spaulding Collection.
Art for Everyone: Print Culture and the Floating World
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
Tickets (Member / Nonmember)
In-Person $28 / $35
Livestream $16 / $20
The stability provided by the Tokugawa rulers led to increased prosperity and the rise of a new middle class with modest (and sometimes not so modest) disposable income, as well as a higher rate of literacy. Explore how popular printing became a viable field of commercial enterprise as most Edo residents could afford to buy professionally produced pictures for the first time. These images depicted the many ephemeral pleasures of the urban popular culture known as the Floating World: theaters, brothels, fashion, food, and more. The technology of inexpensive full-color woodblock printing was so satisfactory that it continued to be the primary medium for popular images until the beginning of the 20th century.
Sarah Thompson, curator for Japanese Prints, Art of Asia
Course Packages
Purchase a ticket package for the full four-session “From Edo to Tokyo” course. Please note that this option is not available after the date of the first session.
Assistive listening system
Wheelchair accessible
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
Livestream Tickets
The livestream ticket gives access to a live feed of the event that can be watched remotely. You must be logged in to the account used to purchase the ticket in order to access the livestream on the Video Content page. Please log in at least 5 minutes before the start of the event to test your connection.
Livestream ticket holders must watch the event live; there is no recording of the event available for viewing at a later time.
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.