- 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-eWomen 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.
