Japanese Graphic Art

Chartwell Books, Inc, New Jersey, United States, 1989 Book. Good. Hardcover. 2nd Edition. English text; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 24.5 x 30 cm; 1 Kg; 37 pages plus appendix with 113 colour plates.; Used book with signs of wear on the dust jacket. The interior is in good condition.; Includes: The development of Japanese art, Methods and themes on graphic art, The Major painters and engravers, over 110 colour illustrations, Background commentary on each print and A glossary of Japanese art terms.; Typical of graphic art in Japan are the marvelous ukyio-e prints. At one time regarded as "decadent", the colorful portraits of beauties moving around the demi-monde and of actors performing in the popular kabuki theatres catch the spirit of the new life that developed in the major Japanese cities from the seventeenth century onwards. In this stunning book, the author traces the fascinating story of how Japanese art flourished under a number of aristocratic and military regimes, with graphic art reaching a wider audience as a result of the new printing techniques. The selection of over 110 full-color prints reproduced here were chosen to demonstrate exactly the range and the craft of the Japanese engravers. Some of the wood-cuts illustrated books of poems, tales of warriors, and play scripts; others took their part in popular picture books celebrating such eternal themes as the beauty of women and the return to nature. Each illustration is accompanied by helpful comments about the artist and subject. A glossary of terms round off this book - the complete guide to a most important and beautiful art form..