Guide To Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints

"[An] impressive volume, with a valuable amount of information not otherwise available in one source." --Choice Companion volume to Merritt's Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints. This volume is a reference work that is both comprehensive and rigorously chronological.

Surveys the persistence of Japanese woodblock printing through the first half of the 20th century, when mainstream art ignored it as an extinct form. Describes the divergence of traditional and modern methods, the influence of the West, and the eventual decline. Includes many fine reproductions, 16 pages in color. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

An inspirational how-to course on Japanese woodblock printing's history and techniques, with guidance on materials and studio practices, step-by-step demonstrations, and examples of finished works by modern masters of the medium as well as historic pieces. A Modern Guide to the Ancient Art of mokuhanga An increasingly popular yet age-old art form, Japanese woodblock printing (mokuhanga) is embraced for its non-toxic character, use of handmade materials, and easy integration with other printmaking techniques. In this comprehensive guide, artist and printmaker April Vollmer—one of the best known mokuhanga practitioners and instructors in the West—combines her deep knowledge of this historic printmaking practice with expert step-by-step instruction, guidance on materials and studio practices, and a diverse collection of prints by leading contemporary artists. At once practical and inspirational, this handbook is as useful to serious printmakers and artists as it is to creative people drawn to Japanese history and aesthetics.

Collecting Modern Japanese Prints is an authoritative guide to the contemporary Japanese art form of printmaking Authors, Mary and Norman Tolman have been involved with modern Japanese prints on every level for the past thirty years. They number among their close friends a great many contemporary Japanese printmakers. This Japanese print book contains several bodies of information. An introductory essay puts Japanese prints into historical perspective and gives a brief outline of techniques. All of the prints are in full color, in as large a format as possible, so that the art lover can savor the details of each work.

Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints: Reflections of Meiji Culture is a pioneer exploration of a previously neglected genre of late-Meiji art: the type of handmade multicolor book frontispieces known as kuchi-e. Early European collectors assumed that the Japanese woodblock tradition came to an end in Western-tainted prints. Although many crudely colored prints of subjects such as steam trains and men in derby hats did flood the Japanese market, the works introduced in this amply illustrated and readable volume make clear that there was another class of popular woodblock tradition unknown to foreigners that continued into the early twentieth century. In their examination of this late flowering of the woodblock print, the authors provide not only an introduction to a popular artistic tradition but also a new lens through which to view Japanese life at the end of the nineteenth century.

This straightforwardly written and highly informative book is designed as an introductory history and guide to Japanese prints for the student and the beginning collector. Not limited to "ukiyo-e", it also discusses medieval Buddhist prints and the prints of the modern era, from the Mieiji period to the present. Thus such modern luminaries as Onchi, Hiratsuka, and Munakata are presented alongside the Edo master printmakers Harunobu, Kiyonaga, Utamaro, Sharaku, Hokusai, and Hiroshige. A major virtue of the book is the attention it gives to the aesthetics of the prints and to the lives of the printmakers themselves. Illustrated with 14 prints in full color and 86 in black and white, it also offers a thoroughly useful chapter on the collection and care of Japanse prints, a glossary, and a valuable selected bibliography. -- From publisher's description.

Japanese woodblock prints, or ukiyo-e, are the most recognizable Japanese art form. Their massive popularity has spread from Japan to be embraced by a worldwide audience. Covering the period from the beginning of the Japanese woodblock print in the 1680s until the year 1900, Japanese Woodblock Prints provides a detailed survey of all the famous ukiyo-e artists, along with over 500 full-color prints. Unlike previous examinations of this art form, Japanese Woodblock Prints includes detailed histories of the publishers of woodblock prints—who were often the driving force determining which prints, and therefore which artists, would make it into mass circulation for a chance at critical and popular success. Invaluable as a guide for ukiyo-e enthusiasts looking for detailed information about their favorite Japanese woodblock print artists and prints, it is also an ideal introduction for newcomers to the world of the woodblock print. This lavishly illustrated book will be a valued addition to the libraries of scholars, as well as the general art enthusiast.

This volume tells the story of the woodblock print from its beginnings in the seventeenth century to the latest developments in the post WWII era. Includes dating tips, a guide to reading a print to determine censor's seals, date marks, artist markings and seal, and a chapter on techniques for creating a woodblock print.