One hundred views of Edo Woodblock prints by Ando Hiroshige

Review by Choice Review

Hiroshige (1797-1885), with his older colleague, Hokusai, are the two most familiar Japanese woodcut artists. Hiroshige created this series on views of Edo (one of five) from 1856 to 1859. There are, in fact, 118 prints in this series (the largest number of ukiyo-e in any series) plus a contents sheet; all but three were designed by Hiroshige. In a clear and concise 11-page history of ukiyo-e (with 17 small illustrations), Uspensky (late curator of Japanese art, Hermitage) discusses the nature and role of woodcut prints and analyzes those by Hiroshige in part by comparing them with Hokusai's. Hiroshige is seen as a more lyrical artist interested in "emotional atmosphere" and infusing the print with a "psychological mood." The analyses, though basically valid, are at times difficult to understand--the author obviously had a strong feeling for the artist's work. The major contribution (the bulk of the book) is a reproduction of each print accompanied by a one-page text illuminating the significance of the iconography, particularly the specific Edo site, and pointing out where Hiroshige took liberties with the view. Somewhat similar studies have been made (e.g., One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, with essays by Henry D. Smith II and Amy G. Poster, CH, Jan'87; Hiroshige in Tokyo, by Julian Bicknell, 1994--the latter treats only 26 prints, and more from an aesthetic than topographic point of view). Most prints are reproduced in their entirety (a few are enlarged and cropped), but none show publisher or censor stamps. All prints are from "Russian Museums," not otherwise identified, and the total lack of scholarly apparatus (index, notes, bibliography) diminishes the value of the book. Nevertheless, recommended for undergraduate, graduate, and general collections. D. K. Haworth emeritus, Carleton College

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

A look at the history of ukiyo-e, those "pictures of the floating world" that are arguably among the most popular Asian artworks in the West, inevitably leads one to discover the cross-cultural artistic traditions that have shaped or been shaped by this quintessential Japanese art form. For example, beginning in the late eighteenth century, Japanese artists studied European works and experimented with perspective and chiaroscuro, as well as brushes of realism and local color, in their own wood-block prints. In turn, this "Western-influenced" style of Japanese landscape eventually set off a japonisme craze, which inspired many nineteenth-century artists on the Continent. Van Gogh, for one, acknowledged inspiration from Hiroshige's Sudden Shower on the Ohashi Bridge and Atakepart of the celebrated One Hundred Views of Edo series. Unlike previous publications of the Edo series, this book is not an exhibition catalog. Uspensky, the late curator of Japanese arts at the Hermitage Museum, has taken care to reproduce all 118 prints, with extensive commentaries on each. It would have been helpful to have included the more well-known illustrations, such as Hokusai's Mount Fuji Seen Below a Wave at Kanagawa alongside the introduction, but overall, Uspensky's text succinctly describes the rich history of this fascinating art. --Veronica Scrol

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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