SADAHIDE. [Utagawa Gountei Sadahide] [A Lecture Delivered to the Ukiyo-E Society

[New York 1984, Ukiyo-e Society America. Buff wrappers, A-4 size, 9p., stapled, as new. OBSCURE, FIRST & ONLY EDITION This is perhaps the first real monograph covering the works of Hashimoto Sadahide, his bird's eye view maps, processions and other prints related to Yokohama and foreigners in the Yokohama are. * The essay uses several examples from the author's and a library collection to illustrated the skill and technique of Sadahide. * *** WHO WAS UTAGAWA SADAHIDE [GOUNTEI] 1807-73]: Was to become one of the most famous Yokohama print artists of his time. He used several "Go" or "studio names:" Kenjiro, Gountei, Gyokuoh, Gyokuran, Gyokuransai, Gyokurantei, Sadahide [a "Go" which stuck]. He is perhaps one of the first after Hokusai, to use what is now commonly called a "bird's eye" view or perspective from a cloud-level advantage point. He as tremendous great skill to imagine himself in the clouds, looking down upon the landscape as if he were a 'bird.' His ability to correctly put into perspective a long and wide view of the Tokaido, Yokohama, Yoshiwara and other geographic areas of Japan in a charming and wonderfully realistic map-like projection. Few artists could capture with such detail and artistic, pictorial representation these beautiful and artful images. . Sadahide earned his position in the period Genre art of the times, creating memorable and delightful walking maps of the Tokaido, the gay quarters of the Yokohama Yoshiwara prostitution area and adjacent place. . Sadahide's "bird's eye" views are "SINE PARI" i.e. "Without Equal" in the period genre of Japanese color woodblock printing. He stood out with type of 'pictorial map' and continued to make standard Oban-size prints of foreigners and their life style in Yokohama. . It is of great interest, to observe Robert's comments written in 1976, where he missed the "wave" of interest mounting about Sadahide. This cataloger wrote an article about Sadahide in 1984 which was presented to the Ukiyo-e Society of America, few of any members even knew of Sadahide nor had they noticed his stunning and exceptional artistic works. . Currently [2016], some thirty-two years later, a generation later, Sadahide has finally 'arrived' and gone 'main-stream,' dealers, collectors and museums throughout the world know his name [finally !!]. . Per Roberts: "He was a pupil of Kunisada. A prolific but 'minor' printmaker [per Roberts published book date of 1976, since that time this artist's works have become important, famous and highly collectable] and illustrator, producing some theatrical prints I the Osaka manner as well as prints of traditional Japanese subjects and, after Yokohama was opened to the West, of contemporary industrial scenes and foreigners. Also made political cartoons and copied many makers who presented their works at the Paris Exposition of 1866, receiving the Legion d'Honneur for his part I the exhibition. Sometimes called a member of the Yokohama school. One of the last to depict Ukyo-e subjects. his effective and decorative prints show the influence of Western perspective and Chiaroscuro.:" Roberts below, p.135. He is now well-collected by world-wide museums. His name is now the source of a a WikiPedia article ! . * In 1868, the first year of Meiji, it was reported Sadhide ranked the best-selling Ukiyo-e artist. He died in 1878 or 1879,shortly after producing a print of Yokohama the size of a tatami mat [ca 1 x 2 meters. . The first exhibition dedicated to Sadahide's work was held in 1997, subtitled: "SORA TOBE UKIYO-E SHI: THE UKIYO-E ARTIST WHO FLIES IN THE SKY. See below for this reference. . *** REFERENCES: KANAGAWA KENRITSU REKISHI HAKUBUTSUKAN.: YOKOHAMA UKIYOE TO SORATOBU ESHI, GOUNTEI SADAHIDE: SPECIAL EXHIBITION: YOKOHAMA UKIYO-E: LIFE & WOODCUT WORKS OF GOUNTEI SADAHIDE. [A Woodblock Print Artist of the Mid-19th Century] * KANAGAWA KENRITSU HAKUBUTSUKAN: YOKOHAMA UKIYO-TO SORATOBU ESHI GOUNTE SADAHIDE. THE UKIYO-E ARTIST WHO FLIES IN THE SKY. * STANOFF, Jerrold G.: SADAHIDE. [Utagawa Gountei Sadahide], A Lecture Delivered to the Ukiyo-E Society of America, New York, April, 1984. * ROBERTS, Laurance P.: A DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS: PAINTING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, PRINTS, LACQUER, p.135. * SADHIDE: Per Wikipedia article below: . "Utagawa Sadahide [1807-c.1878-79], also known as Gountei Sadahide, was a Japanese artist best known for his prints in the ukiyo-e style as a member of the Utagawa school. His prints covered a wide variety of genres; amongst his best known are his Yokohama-e pictures of foreigners in Yokohama in the 1860s, a period when he was a best-selling artist. He was a member of the Tokugawa shogunate's delegation to the International Exposition of 1867 in Paris." Quoted from below entry: . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadahide *** NOT IN: KANAGAWA KENRITSU HAKUBUTSU KAN. comp. SHUTAISEI YOKOHAMA UKIYO-E.YOKOHAMA UKIYO-E PRINTS. [Covers 95% of All Yokohama-e Published] * *** Color scans of this and most others are posted to our website. .