a Japanese school of art that originated in the 17th century and reflected democratic tendencies related to the rapid development of urban life. The paintings and woodcuts of the ukiyo-e masters were widely circulated in the form of prints. In contrast to works of the aristocratic schools of Kano and Tosa, they depicted the everyday life of artisans, merchants, actors, and geishas. Ukiyo-e, which became highly developed in the 18th century, heralded the flourishing of the Japanese woodcut. The chief representatives of the school were Matabei and Moronobu. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Sharaku, Toyokuni, Utamaro, Hi-roshige, and Hokusai were also associated with ukiyo-e.