Book Description
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) holds an assured place in the history of art as one of the greatest masters of the wood-block print. This volume offers an excellent overview of the accomplished artist who, together with Hokusai, was the leading creator of landscape imagery in Japanese printmaking. If Hokusai is recognized for his bold compositions and clearly defined forms, Hiroshige is the master of the passing moment - the artist of mist, snow, and rain. The immense popularity of Hiroshige's prints meant that they were continually reprinted, wearing down the woodblocks. For this book, every effort has been made to reproduce only the finest early impressions. Each plate is provided with a commentary by Matthi Forrer who, in an introductory essay, examines Hiroshige's life and work, assessing his place in Japanese art and making important revisions to the generally accepted chronology of his oeuvre. Other essays draw attention to aspects of Hiroshige's life and work which have often been overlooked and place Hiroshige and his art in their social and political context. This volume also includes maps, a chronology, a glossary and a bibliography.


About the Author
Matthi Forrer is Curator of the Japanese Department at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden. He is author of Hokusai: Prints and Drawings.

FROM OUR EDITORS

In celebration of the bicentennial of Hiroshige's birth, this book examines more than 140 of the prolific woodblock designer's prints, whose atmospheric designs give a vivid picture of Japanese society in the 19th century.

FROM THE PUBLISHER