$45, 12x9.5” 224pgs.… This book sheds light on the often mysterious iconography in Japanese prints
Lavishly illustrated with over 130 prints of women and men, from the heyday of Japanese printmaking
A passionate introduction to the intriguing art of Ukiyo-e
Women and men – strong, proud, tragic or beautiful – from the heyday (1765–1865) of Japanese printmaking are this book’s subject. It seeks to dig below the surface of the prints to describe the often subtle iconography employed in these masterful creations by the most famous artists of their time. It begins with Suzuki Harunobu’s subdued and introverted scenes of women seated on verandas. The book then moves on to the spectacular ‘big face’ (okubi-e) portraits of prostitutes and Kabuki actors by artists like …Kitagawa Utamaro, Toshusai Sharaku and Utagawa Kunimasa.
Frail ‘streetwalkers’, forced by circumstance into the lowest ranks of prostitution, are transformed into elegant beauties, obscuring their tragic existence. The spectacle of heroes from Japan’s rich mythological and pseudo-historical past crowd the printed sheet. Stern-faced actors drawn by the confident hands of Utagawa Toyokuni and his pupil Kunisada demonstrate the economy of line and powerful expression of the woodblock medium. Each print is explored in the finest detail in order to explain the riddles of Ukiyo-e: the intriguing and captivating mode of visual expression that would have such a profound influence on Western art.
$45, 12x9.5” 224pgs.… This book sheds light on the often mysterious iconography in Japanese prints
Lavishly illustrated with over 130 prints of women and men, from the heyday of Japanese printmaking
A passionate introduction to the intriguing art of Ukiyo-e
Women and men – strong, proud, tragic or beautiful – from the heyday (1765–1865) of Japanese printmaking are this book’s subject. It seeks to dig below the surface of the prints to describe the often subtle iconography employed in these masterful creations by the most famous artists of their time. It begins with Suzuki Harunobu’s subdued and introverted scenes of women seated on verandas. The book then moves on to the spectacular ‘big face’ (okubi-e) portraits of prostitutes and Kabuki actors by artists like …Kitagawa Utamaro, Toshusai Sharaku and Utagawa Kunimasa.
Frail ‘streetwalkers’, forced by circumstance into the lowest ranks of prostitution, are transformed into elegant beauties, obscuring their tragic existence. The spectacle of heroes from Japan’s rich mythological and pseudo-historical past crowd the printed sheet. Stern-faced actors drawn by the confident hands of Utagawa Toyokuni and his pupil Kunisada demonstrate the economy of line and powerful expression of the woodblock medium. Each print is explored in the finest detail in order to explain the riddles of Ukiyo-e: the intriguing and captivating mode of visual expression that would have such a profound influence on Western art.
Image 1 of 25
Image 2 of 25
Image 3 of 25
Image 4 of 25
Image 5 of 25
Image 6 of 25
Image 7 of 25
Image 8 of 25
Image 9 of 25
Image 10 of 25
Image 11 of 25
Image 12 of 25
Image 13 of 25
Image 14 of 25
Image 15 of 25
Image 16 of 25
Image 17 of 25
Image 18 of 25
Image 19 of 25
Image 20 of 25
Image 21 of 25
Image 22 of 25
Image 23 of 25
Image 24 of 25
Image 25 of 25
