Asian Art Resource Room

Playful Perspective

Uki-e (literally “float painting”) creates a visual illusion by stretching further the Western technique of perspective, using soft shades and firm lines to enhance a sense of optical depth. Introduced in the Edo period from Qing Dynasty China, it was developed in Japan as a genre of ukiyo-e painting. Referred to as ‘glasses’ or ‘optique’ pictures, since the image is viewed through a lens, everything is painted in reverse to how it would be properly seen through the glass. Although natural landscapes occur as Chinese Uki-e subject matter, more commonly it tended toward Chinese style structures and gardens, but also Western architectures for compositions where the perspective effect could readily be exploited.