A dazzling reprint of Hiroshige's views of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), one of the masterpieces of the ukiyo-e woodblock tradition and a paradigm of the Japonisme that inspired Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Art Nouveau artists, from Vincent van Gogh to James McNeill Whistler.
A dazzling reprint of Hiroshige's views of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), one of the masterpieces of the ukiyo-e woodblock tradition and a paradigm of the Japonisme that inspired Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Art Nouveau artists, from Vincent van Gogh to James McNeill Whistler.
Japanese woodblock prints, or ukiyo-e, are the most recognizable Japanese art form. Their massive popularity has spread from Japan to be embraced by a worldwide audience. Covering the period from the beginning of the Japanese woodblock print in the 1680s until the year 1900, Japanese Woodblock Prints provides a detailed survey of all the famous ukiyo-e artists, along with over 500 full-color prints. Unlike previous examinations of this art form, Japanese Woodblock Prints includes detailed histories of the publishers of woodblock prints--who were often the driving force determining which prints, and therefore which artists, would make it into mass circulation for a chance at critical and popular success. Invaluable as a guide for ukiyo-e enthusiasts looking for detailed information about their favorite Japanese woodblock print artists and prints, it is also an ideal introduction for newcomers to the world of the woodblock print. This lavishly illustrated book will be a valued addition to the libraries of scholars, as well as the general art enthusiast.
Considered Hokusai's masterpiece, this series of images -- which first appeared in the 1830s in three small volumes -- captures the simple, elegant shape of Mount Fuji from every angle and in every context.
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) designed a series of seventy landscapes depicting the provinces of Japan between 1854 and 1856. It was the first in a number of sets from the highly productive years of his later life. The designs comprising "Famous Places in the 60-Odd Provinces (Rokuju yoshu meisho zue) are taken from all corners of Japan, thus representing an enormous innovation in the choice of subject matter. Large sets published before this had depicted the famous routes between Edo and Kyoto, the Tokaido and the Kisokaido, but Hiroshige had never before ventured beyond these well-known themes/ The Japanese countryside was already depicted in graphic art, but mostly in travelers' guidebooks and not as full color prints. With this set, Hiroshige brought the Japanese countryside closer to the urban population. It evidently met with high acclaim: the publisher Koshimuraya Heisuke produced a large number of impressions. In this study, the author Marije Jansen briefly discusses Hiroshige's life and the formal aspects of this series. Jansen takes as her point of departure the set in possession of the German collector Gerhard Pulverer, which is generally acknowledged to be a superb example of a first edition, and compares this series to a number of other sets in public and private collections. The detectable printing variations in each design are carefully analyzed, making this an indispensable tool for collectors.
Exquisite depictions of romantically idealized landscapes from woodcut master's superb Fifty-three Stages on the Tokaido. Reproduced from the Collection of the Elvehjem Museum of Art. Includes The Bridge on the Toyo River, The Ferryboat at Rokugo, The Junction of the Pilgrims' Road and Mt. Fuji in the Morning from Hara.
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) is one of the best known of all Japanese woodblock print designers. He is particularly renowned for his landscape prints, which are among the most frequently reproduced of all Japanese works of art. Hiroshige's landscape prints were hugely successful both in Japan and in the West. Their unusual compositions, humorous depictions of people involved in everyday activities and masterly expression of weather, light and seasons, proved enormously influential on many leading European artists. Aimed at a general audience, this book illustrates and discusses 53 Hiroshige landscape prints in the Ashmolean Museum's collection and explores their historical background. It gives a concise introduction to Hiroshige's life and career within the context of Japan's booming nineteenth-century woodblock print industry and explores the development of the landscape print as a new genre in this period. It also discusses and illustrates the process and techniques of traditional Japanese woodblock print-making. Contents: How to 'read' a Japanese Print, Preface, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Woodblock Print Designer, Making a Japanese Woodblock Print, I Views along the Tokaido, II Views of the Provinces, III Views of Edo, IV Views of Mount Fuji, Further Reading.