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.^[1]

Painting, hanging scroll, mitate-e, 1425. Parody of Zhuang Zi's dream of butterflies: courtesan wearing surcoat decorated with hanging coloured wisteria blooms and green brocade belt with design of water-wheels and trailing leaves of aquatic candock plant, seated leaning on Chinese writing-table with vase of peony, and looking up at butterfly. Ink, colour and gold on silk. Collection, British Museum

The term derives from two roots: mitateru (見立る, "to liken one thing to another")^[a] and e (絵, "picture"). The mitate technique arose first in poetry and became prominent during the Heian period (794–1185).^[3] Haiku poets revived the technique during the Edo period (1603–1868), from which it spread to the other arts of the era. Such works typically employ allusions, puns, and incongruities, and frequently recall classical artworks.^[3]

In the context of ukiyo-e, mitate-e is often translated into English as "parody picture".^[3] 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 in works by Okumura Masanobu (1686–1764) and Suzuki Harunobu (1725–1770).^[3]

History and Origins

The concept of mitate originated in Japanese poetry before making its way into the visual arts. The word combines miru (見る, "to look") and tateru (立てる, "to set up"), and became known by the Heian period (794–1185) as an act of comparison in which one thing was "seen as something else." ^[1] In early literature such as waka and renga poetry, poets used mitate to layer meanings though puns and homophones. This poetic technique was later further expanded in Haikai poetry during the Edo period (1603-1868), where it developed a more humorous and subversive tone. ^[1]

The adaptation from verses to visual art reflected the growing trends of parody and allusion across popular art at the time. As commercial printmaking broadened, artists began using the poetic device in imagery to compare modern people like courtesans, actors, and townspeople to classical figures of literature and legends. ^[3] The term mitate-e did not become standardized until after the Edo period, likely during the eighteenth century, and similar works were often labeled as fūryū (風流. "elegant" or "up-to-date." ^[3]

Themes and Characterizations

Mitate-e is defined by its use of analogy, substitution, and layered references to create visual and cultural associations. ^[1][3] These veiled associations were intended for Edo-period urban audiences familiar with both classical literature and contemporary popular culture. This allowed viewers to recognize and interpret layered allusions. ^[4] Mitate (見立て, "to liken" or "to see as") involves presenting one subject in the terms of another, producing a complex contrast between image and meaning. This exists in reality as a "seeing-as" process where the viewer can hold multiple interpretations at once, often evoking humor or irony. ^[1]

Compositions often use subjects such as courtesans, kabuki actors, or townspeople reinterpreted as classic heroes and poets.^[3][5]

Notable Artists

Ukiyo-e print by Kitigawa Utamaro depicting the samurai and daimyō, Totoyomi Hideyoshi, having tea and being attended to by four women.

Several prominent Edo period print-maker employed the use of mitate in their work. Masanobu has been cited as one of the earliest artists to incorporate the use of parody into woodblock prints, creating a precedent for later artists' compositions. ^[3] Harunobu helped to popularize mitate-e within Edo prints by reinterpreting classical literature and seasonal imagery into contemporary contexts through colorful and engaging visual language. Harunobu's use of mitate-e was often linked to erotic, satirical, and political subject matter; sometimes causing the prints to be censored under Edo publishing laws. ^{[6] [4]} Artists of the Torii school and Utagawa school, including Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815), Kunisada (1786-1865), and Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), extended mitate-e into actor potraits using allegory to combine Kabuki actors with classical poets and motifs. Artists used these combinations to navigate censorship regulations, presenting political and controversial subjects in a way that concealed direct reference. ^[5] Utamaro also utilized mitate-e when creating portraits of women and historical scenes. A depiction of Japanese samurai, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and his concubines through the series, Taikō Gosai Rakutō Yūkan no Zu, led to Utamaro's arrest in 1804 under the Tokugawa shogunate. ^[7][8]

Notes

1. Mitateru has a number of other meanings not relevant to mitate-e.^[2]

See also

• Metaphor
• Metonymy
• Synecdoche