Humor and Wit: Parody and Play in Japanese Painting and Prints

The paintings and prints on display in this installation demonstrate that humor and parody have long been important aspects of Japanese art. This was especially so during the Edo period (1600–1868), when rigid social hierarchies created the impetus for different forms of artistic expression. Humor provided an escape for many who chafed under a regime that imposed strict codes of social conduct; artists, authors, and entertainers devised playful ways to outwit the law and create new forms of comic diversion.

Installation arranged by Wai Yee Chiong, PhD Candidate, Department of Art & Archaeology, Princeton University.

Humor and Wit complements the 2014 Graduate Student Symposium in East Asian Art. The symposium is co-organized by Wai Yee Chiong and Sol Jung. Entitled “Wit and Humor: Visualizing Playfulness in East Asian Art” the symposium will take place on March 1, 2014. For more information see: http://www.princeton.edu/tang/symposia/gs/