Waseda Institute for Advanced Study
Japan
fellow
Sabine Sophia BRADEL
Home institution
European Association for Asian Art and Archaeology
Discipline(s)
Arts and arts studies
Theme(s)
Identity
Visual Arts
Fellowship dates
›
Research Project
Technological innovation-centrism in art historiography and the significance of “continuity” in mid-Edo period ukiyo-e
Even today, Edo period woodblock prints and paintings (ukiyo-e) are evaluated according to art historical conventions that prioritise technological innovation over the continuity of established modes of expression. Yet innovation is neither a spontaneous phenomenon nor immediately accessible to everyone. Focusing on the artists behind the innovation-centric canon, my research explores the significance of artistic continuity in times of technological transition to point out misattributions in art historiography that continue to affect our understanding of ukiyo-e to this day.