Product Description

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 Tokaido" 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1170213 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
"Un livre precieux, a faire partager." Maxi-livres, Paris"

About the Author
Gabriele Fahr-Becker studied art history, archaeology, and philosophy, and gained her doctorate from Munich University in 1970 with a thesis on Art Nouveau. She has published numerous books on turn-of-the-century art.

Customer Reviews

Japanese Prints
As usual, the Taschen publishers have done a choice job of reproducing great art. The pieces are laid out harmoniously with one another as well as with the text, through and through. It is beautifully bound, and has a lovely dust cover. Prints are high quality, clear reproductions, and are primarily in color. This is important to me in a book on an artistic style, that relies heavily on color to be successful. Well worth the price, list or not.

beautifully laid out...great choices!
i love the prints that the author and editors chose to include in this book. they did not only use the famous hiroshige prints. and they did not only include recent prints. besides the beautiful reproductions, the text in this book is amazing. it gives the reader heaps of background information on the art and the culture. a great gift for anyone with a passion for japan!

Awesome Inspiration
For anyone interested in Japanese art, this is a must-have publication for your collection. This large format, coffee-table style display book allows for the prints to be large and show amazing detail. There are lots of pictures (of the prints) and the text is easy to understand. I highly recommend it...loved it! Also, it is great inspiration for those interested in Oriental Collage Art.