Product Description

Focusing on Ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating or sorrowful world"), the colourful woodblock prints that are the most popular form of Japanese art, this book introduces the little-seen collection held by the Library of Congress. This collection of prints, drawings and books, one of the largest outside Japan, has never been exhibited and has rarely been handled. The art form of Ukiyo-e first flourished in 17th-century Edo (now Tokyo), depicting landscapes, portraits of courtesans and actors. This book includes known masterpieces by such names as Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kunisada, as well as rare and unusual prints that have not been explored before, and thus serves as a survey of its subject.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1219221 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 232 pages

From Library Journal
The Library of Congress presents a gorgeous exhibition catalog that pulls from its collection of over 2000 Ukiyo-e prints and pre-19th-century Japanese art books one of the largest such collections outside of Japan. Blood, fine print curator in the Prints and Photographs division of the Library of Congress, brings together essays from various professionals that give shape to Ukiyo-e, a style of art that flourished in 17th-century Edo, Japan. A strong essay on the actual definition of Ukiyo-e and how it may have been misrepresented as "floating world" or "sorrowful world" heads the book. A discussion of class in Japan and its placement of artisans, warlords, and merchants shows that Ukiyo-e was a strong socio-political statement as well as a thing of beauty. The following chapters give context to the Library of Congress collection and highlight some of its more rare and delightful objects. Excellent scholarship and beautiful color illustrations make this book well worth the price. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those with an interest in Japan or art history. Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher
Exhibition Schedule: Library of Congress,Washington, D.C., Sept. 27, 2001-Jan. 5, 2002

About the Author
Katherine L. Blood is Fine Print Curator in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Sandy Kita, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Japanese Art History at the University of Maryland, College Park; also regularly teaches a course on Ukiyo-e at the Rare Book School at the University of Va., Charlottesville. Lawrence E. Marceau, M.A., Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Japanese at the University of Delaware. James Douglas Farquhar, Ph.D., a professor at Univ. of Maryland and a historian of 15th-century northern European painting. Shiji Honda has served for many years as Buddhist priest in the Washington, DC, area. From 1961-91 was Reference Librarian in the Japanese Section of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress.

Customer Reviews

a first-rate addition to any Japanese art library
Writing on Edo-period Japanese prints tends to be dominated by studies of single artists, print series by single artists, and chronological histories. Against this background, "The Floating World of Ukiyoe: Shadows, Dreams, and Substance," produced in conjunction with an exhibition, is a most welcome contribution. Here the emphasis is on showcasing a diverse and rarely seen collection--the woodblock prints and woodblock-printed books of the Library of Congress-- and on presenting expert essays that put the genre of "ukiyoe" in a broad aesthetic and social context. Added bonuses include such features as the "raking light" photograph on page 118, which illustrates the effects created by print embossing. "The Floating World" has been superbly designed by Abrams and well edited. It is worth noting too that the index has been prepared with exceptional care. Meanwhile, the bibliography--which covers 309 items and runs more than 20 pages--is a wonderful guide to woodblock-printed books in the Library of Congress: for scholars of Japanese art, culture, and publishing, this alone will justify acquisition of this book.