Japanese Prints

by Gabriele Fahr-Becker, Profusely illustrated (Illustrator)

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 world's largest and most celebrated collection of such prints. On account of their rarity and value, 87 of them have been designated Japanese National Treasures or Major National Cultural Heritage Items. The introductory essay, Ukiyo-e - Origins and 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 and style of Japanese prints and 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 and actors, landscapes and travelogues - these are the motifs of the ukiyo-e print. The dominant theme, however, is woman's beauty, the grace of her posture and attitudes, and the decorative aesthetics of her flowing garments. Amongst the most celebrated of the artists featured here are Utamaro, with his beautiful courtesans and geishas; Sharaku, with his portraits of actors on the kabuki stage; Hokusai, with his landscapes, among them the 36 Views of Mount Fuji; and Hiroshige, with his 53 Stations on the To-kaido- and his 100 Views of Famous Places in and around Edo. The ten-page appendix includes a glossary of technical terms and biographies of all 43 artists.

Genres: Art, Japan, Nonfiction, Reference, Japanese Literature, Art History, History

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Zanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful edition on good paper, with high quality prints. There is a crisp history of ukiyo-e by Mitsunobu Sato, a very poetic analysis of the aesthetics of ukiyo-e by Thomas Zacharias, then a more-or-less chronological selection of prints with excellent individual commentaries by Mitsunobu Sato, Yoshino Moriyama, Hideko Yamaguchi and Yuriko Iwakiri. Finally, there is a very clear and thorough glossary of the technical terms, and concise biographies of Ukiyo-e artists.

Zacharias' essay in particular helped me to look at the prints with a more informed eye, and to appreciate the sophistication and subtlety of the designs. I found I came to like the earlier, simpler, less highly coloured portraits and figures as much as the fabulous landscapes of Hiroshige et al, made when the medium had matured.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book of woodblock prints of the Ukiyo-e period out of Taschen Publishing House. I have read this book cover to cover and it will probably sit on my desk for the next .... so I can look at it without having to look for it.

[Jerry Dreesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent. A treasure.

[Kat Ponte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful images and great information. However I found the organization of the book to be difficult- not all of the captions or descriptions are on the same page (or even opposite of) the images described. I think for maximum effect I would have preferred to be able to look at the images while reading about them to better identify the qualities mentioned in the description. Otherwise tho a beautiful book with a lot of new things I learned about this art

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Fahr-Becker. An excellent introduction to Japanese prints with a very good selection of representative works from best masters. Each print has extensive commentaries. Very informative and a pleasure to read.

[Christopher Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to Japanese prints. The Origins and History section with which the book leads is excellent. Every print has an informative summary. The prints themselves are beautiful. What I learn from this book will certainly change the way I look at ukiyo-e from now on. Time to check out coming ukiyo-e exhibitions and mark them in my calendar!

[brian tanabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well done survey of the ukiyo-e masters.

I LOVE the Taschen!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book filled with wonderful Japanese woodblock prints and my favorite one is on the cover.

[Sedna Qagaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting, ephemeral, and deliciously succinct.

[user_fjifods998877 · Rating 4 out of 5]

bought @ baltimroe museum of arts. OCT. 2014