Prints of the Floating World

Résumé du livre

Ukiyo-e - 'pictures of the floating world' - produced by Japanese artists, publishers and craftsmen of the Edo period (1603-1868) constitute one of the most remarkable and spectacular achievements in the history of graphic art. This book traces the historical, stylistic and technical development of these prints, from the hand-coloured work of the seventeenth century, to the spectacular colour printing of the mid-nineteenth century. A postlude gives a glimpse of printmaking in the succeeding Meiji period. An introductory essay explores the historical context of the 'floating-world' culture which is depicted in many of the prints and expressed in their style and treatment of subject-matter: the glamorous image of the courtesans, the stars of the kabuki stage, and the evocative imagery of Japanese poetry. A second essay provides insight into the technical refinement of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The main body of the book consists of full-colour reproductions of over seventy prints, highlighting the most significant artists and styles and the most typical subjects and moods.