Gods and GoblinsJapanese Folk Paintings from Otsu

The unknown painters of the small town of Otsu, Japan, created a painting genre versatile enough to survive for more than three centuries and appealing enough to enter into literature, theater, dance, song, and the work of mainstream artists. Gods and Goblins presents Otsu-e as a tradition that has continually reinvented itself in response to social changes and is still alive today. In the early 17th century artists in Otsu began producing inexpensive paintings to sell as souvenirs to travelers who passed through the town on the great highway known as the Tokaido, or Eastern Sea Route, which linked Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). These folk paintings depict gods, humans, animals, and supernatural beings in humorous and often satirical situations, and are characterized by lively, spontaneous brushstrokes and an unsophisticated charm and humor.