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Japanese Woodblock Prints. 40th Ed.
From Edouard Manet’s portrait of naturalist writer Émile Zola sitting among his Japanese art finds to Van Gogh’s meticulous copies of the Hiroshige prints he devotedly collected, 19th-century pioneers of European modernism made no secret of their love of Japanese art. In all its sensuality, freedom, and effervescence, the woodblock print is single-handedly credited with the wave of japonaiserie that first enthralled France and, later, all of Europe―but often remains misunderstood as an “exotic” artifact that helped inspire Western creativity.
The fact is that the Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon of which there exists no Western equivalent. Some of the most disruptive ideas in modern art―including, as Karl Marx put it, that “all that is solid melts into air”―were invented in Japan in the 1700s and expressed like never before in the designs of such masters as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Hiroshige in the early 19th century.
This volume, derived from the original XXL monograph, lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan.
From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. We discover the four pillars of the woodblock print―beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions―alongside depictions of sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, or enticing courtesans―rock stars who populated the “floating world” and whose fan bases fueled the frenzied production of woodblock prints. We delve into the horrifying and the obscure in prints where demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures torment the living―stunning images that continue to influence Japanese manga, film, and video games to this day. We witness how, in their incredible breadth, from everyday scenes to erotica, the martial to the mythological, these works are united by the technical mastery and infallible eye of their creators and how, with tremendous ingenuity and tongue-in-cheek wit, publishers and artists alike fought to circumvent government censorship.
The fact is that the Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon of which there exists no Western equivalent. Some of the most disruptive ideas in modern art―including, as Karl Marx put it, that “all that is solid melts into air”―were invented in Japan in the 1700s and expressed like never before in the designs of such masters as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Hiroshige in the early 19th century.
This volume, derived from the original XXL monograph, lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan.
From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. We discover the four pillars of the woodblock print―beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions―alongside depictions of sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, or enticing courtesans―rock stars who populated the “floating world” and whose fan bases fueled the frenzied production of woodblock prints. We delve into the horrifying and the obscure in prints where demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures torment the living―stunning images that continue to influence Japanese manga, film, and video games to this day. We witness how, in their incredible breadth, from everyday scenes to erotica, the martial to the mythological, these works are united by the technical mastery and infallible eye of their creators and how, with tremendous ingenuity and tongue-in-cheek wit, publishers and artists alike fought to circumvent government censorship.
509 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
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328 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 6, 2020
Japanese Woodblock Prints in 200 Masterpieces: From 'Ukiyo-e' to 'Shin Hanga', by Andreas Marks
--I. 1680-1761: The Early Masters
--II. 1765-1783: The Beginning of Full-Colour Printing
--III. 1784-1798: The Golden Age
--IV. 1800-1829: The Response to Censorship
--V. 1830-1852: Peak Production
--VI. 1857-1904: The Last Phase of Traditional Prints
--VII. 1916-1938: Shin Hanga
Editorial Notes
List of Artists and Works
Bibliography
Photo Credits
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Imprint
--I. 1680-1761: The Early Masters
--II. 1765-1783: The Beginning of Full-Colour Printing
--III. 1784-1798: The Golden Age
--IV. 1800-1829: The Response to Censorship
--V. 1830-1852: Peak Production
--VI. 1857-1904: The Last Phase of Traditional Prints
--VII. 1916-1938: Shin Hanga
Editorial Notes
List of Artists and Works
Bibliography
Photo Credits
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Imprint
May 21, 2022
Very good but rather heavy read (and I don't just mean the weight of the book!). The text is filled with a lot of names, many of them very similar. The parts describing trends and changes of different eras were really interesting. The explanations behind each print's picture too but there was a lot of repetition. I get that if you only read on pictures that pique your interest, it'd be ideal to repeat things but reading the whole book, maybe just reference to earlier explanation would've sufficed.
Pictures of course look great, as the book is printed on gloss paper (hence the weight!).
Pictures of course look great, as the book is printed on gloss paper (hence the weight!).
September 13, 2023
A wonderful archive of masterfully composed prints. Would recommend to anyone interested in Japanese culture or art history.
I greatly appreciated that each piece includes cultural context regarding the artwork—which I would have been lost without. Sometimes it was difficult to keep track of people’s names though, especially when masters would pass on their name to an apprentice.
The small dimensions of the book are understandable, however, things like fine details would likely be much easier to appreciate when viewing the artwork at its original (and often large) size.
I greatly appreciated that each piece includes cultural context regarding the artwork—which I would have been lost without. Sometimes it was difficult to keep track of people’s names though, especially when masters would pass on their name to an apprentice.
The small dimensions of the book are understandable, however, things like fine details would likely be much easier to appreciate when viewing the artwork at its original (and often large) size.
September 19, 2024
Probably the best production by Taschen since Giles Néret’s 'Renoir: Painter of Happiness,' particularly in its balance of text and images.
Andreas Marks’s explanations add depth to the astonishing prints, and the short bios are valuable reference points.
As always with Taschen, the images themselves are exquisite.
Andreas Marks’s explanations add depth to the astonishing prints, and the short bios are valuable reference points.
As always with Taschen, the images themselves are exquisite.
June 12, 2025
Wonderful collection! This is a beautiful collection of some of the most famous Woodblock Prints. Printed on gloss paper makes the pieces really shine. Each print also has a brief explanation along with some biographical remarks on the author. That said, the explanations are often so bland... Did AI write these summaries?? I skimmed them for the important material and moved on. Also, this book is not child friendly! My wife and I plan to cut out some pages to keep away from little kids. We would like our children to enjoy art with us, but not that...
December 27, 2022
For some reason, I can't resist Japanese prints from the golden era of Hokusai and before. They are exotic, and yet familiar in a way that feels like trying to recall a dream. Here are actors, courtesans, ordinary people, wrestlers, courtiers, lovers, demons, warriors, saints, and then the scenery! There's something about the eye for the countryside which particularly evokes a kind of magic. This is a beautiful collection with all the greats represented, beautifully published.
September 13, 2024
Preciosa galería para entender la impresión xilográfica en Japón y su evolución a través de los siglos, la única pega que le pongo es que a veces las descripciones de según que obras se hace algo repetitiva, pero supongo que es porque no está pensado para leerlo de pe a pa, si no para mirar las ilustraciones que a uno le interesen.
February 24, 2025
If you are interested in Japanese wood block prints then this book is a great source to know a lot of artists and their art works. As a person who was totally new to this world I learned a lot and enjoyed a lot from this book, and I thank the author and publisher 👍🙏
February 11, 2022
Stunning presentation of a fantastic period of art! Adoration, yes.
June 22, 2023
Some beautiful art here.
June 22, 2023
There is nothing like the beauty of Japanese art.
Our friend Hokusai is of course included.
Our friend Hokusai is of course included.
November 18, 2024
Great guide to Japanese woodblock prints and their history.
September 1, 2025
Five chronological sections, each with a 1-2 page history followed by ~30 representative artworks, factually annotated.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews