This volume reproduces 139 Japanese woodblock colour prints by 43 famous masters of ukiyo-e the popular art of the 17th to the 19th century. The originals are in the Riccar Art Museum in Tokyo the worlds largest & most celebrated collection of such prints. On account of their rarity & value 87 of them have been designated Japanese National Treasures or Major National Cultural Heritage Items. The introductory essay Ukiyo-e
- Origins & History" by the Curator of the Riccar Art Museum Mitsunobu Sato familiarizes the reader with the history of this art form. This is followed by the chapter " Cherry
- Wood
- Blossom" in which Thomas Zacharias Professor at the Munich Academy of Art examines the technique content & style of Japanese prints & their influence on European art at the turn of the century. The major section of the book consists of the 139 reproductions grouped by artist each accompanied by a detailed sensitive commentary. Street scenes lovers trysts festivals portraits of courtesans & actors landscapes & travelogues
- these are the motifs of the ukiyo-e print. The dominant theme however is womans beauty the grace of her posture & attitudes & the decorative aesthetics of her flowing garments. Amongst the most celebrated of the artists featured here are Utamaro with his beautiful courtesans & geishas; Sharaku with his portraits of actors on the kabuki stage; Hokusai with his landscapes among them the "36 Views of Mount Fuji"; & Hiroshige with his "53 Stations on the Tokaido" & his "100 Views of Famous Places in & around Edo". The ten-page appendix
Includes:: a glossary of technical terms & biographies of all 43 artists."