Japanese Woodblock Prints

19th-century European modernists were fascinated by Japanese art, which is credited with inspiring the japonaiserie wave. This book presents 200 exceptional Japanese woodblock prints, showcasing the genre's unique history and cultural development. It explores the four pillars of woodblock prints, including beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions, as well as depictions of sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, and courtesans. The prints feature demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures, and are united by the technical mastery and infallible eye of their creators. Three years in the making, the XXL edition features reproductions of the finest extant impressions from museums and private collections, with 17 stunning fold-outs and extensive descriptions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 622 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2021
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

19th-century European modernists, who were captivated by Japanese art, made no secret of their admiration. The woodblock print, with its sensuality, freedom, and effervescence, is credited with the wave of japonaiserie that first enthralled France and later all of Europe. However, it is often misunderstood as an "exotic" artifact that simply inspired Western creativity. The truth is that the Japanese woodblock print is a unique phenomenon that lacks a Western equivalent. In the 1700s, Japan invented some of the most disruptive ideas in modern art, which were expressed in the designs of masters such as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Hiroshige in the early 19th century. This book sheds light on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the 200 most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Spanning 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 form an unmatched record of a unique genre in art history and the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan. Each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. We delve into the four pillars of the woodblock print—beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions—along the way.

Weight: 6162g
Dimension: 448 x 326 x 79 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836563369