Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bandgt;Presenting classic Japanese woodblock prints, andlt;iandgt;Japan Journeysandlt;/iandgt; offers a unique perspective on the country's most famous travel destinations.andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Art historian Andreas Marks has gathered together approximately two hundred Japanese woodblock prints depicting scenic spots and cultural icons that still delight visitors today. Many of the prints are by masters such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, and Utagawa Kunisada, and currently hang in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. Katsuhika Hokusai, the artform's most celebrated artist, is also well represented, with many prints from his "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road" series and "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, including his world-renowned "Great Wave" print.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In addition to prints showcasing Japan's natural beauty, Marks' carefully curated selection depicts roads and railways; favorite pastimes, such as blossom viewing and attending festivals; beloved entertainment, such as kabuki theater; the fashions they wore, and the food they ate. Marks is a leading expert on Japanese woodblock prints, and his Illuminating captions provide background context to the scenes depicted.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Images of Japan are a continual source of fascination and delight for visitors and armchair travelers alike, and this original gift book also provides a valuable resource for art historians, scholars, and anyone interested in Japanese art, history, and traditional culture.
Review
"The meticulous organization of information notwithstanding, it is the prints which are the chief pleasure of the book: 523 prints that bring to life a Japan of heroic tales, beautiful women, ghosts, warriors, demons, and spring cherry blossoms. The exuberance of color, motion, and expression, all carefully arranged, make this a book for scholars and browsers, serious collectors and hedonists alike." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;ForeWord Reviewsandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Marks's (director and chief curator, Clark Ctr. for Japanese Art) clear, informative text, while valuable for scholars beginning research, also remains accessible to the average reader. With excellent production values and a modest price, this volume is recommended for all libraries, academic and public." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;Library Journalandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"I have been to many of the places shown in these prints and it's fun to see them depicted in artwork that is sometimes centuries old. This book would be treasured by anyone interested in Japan, Japanese ukiyoe art, or artwork in general!" and#8212; andlt;bandgt;Tokyo Fiveandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Opening with a short essay about how local pilgrimages explain the Japanese appetite for domestic travel, Marks organizes the prints by location, with chapters on sights in and around Tokyo, Kyoto, and other regions in Japan. Works by famous printmakers Katsushika Hokusai and the prolific Utagawa Hiroshige are well represented, including classic scenes of Mount Fuji and the ubiquitous 'Great Wave.' Lesser-known 20th-century artists depict scenes from the 1940s with a modern sensibility, such as stark images of Tokyo Station with a paper lantern in the foreground. In some cases, details of the prints are reproduced in the main part of the book, with full versions of the images included at the end. The text is sparse but provides some historical context while allowing the images to tell the story of Japan in its many moods and seasons." and#8212; andlt;bandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"The print quality of the book is excellent. Colors are vibrant and the paper has a pleasant feel. I know. Talking about the feel of a book's paper in the digital age seems a little odd. I enjoy the feel of good paper between my fingers while I read. Some books have cheap feeling paper that ruins the reading experience. It feels as if the book will come apart in your hands. This is particularly disappointing in art books. Luckily, andlt;iandgt;Japan Journeysandlt;/iandgt; doesn't have this problem." and#8212; andlt;bandgt;Japan Poweredandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Images of Japan are a continual source of fascination and delight for visitors and armchair travelers alike, and this original gift book also provided a valuable resource for art historians, scholars, and anyone interested in Japanese art, history, and traditional culture." and#8212; andlt;bandgt;Cultural Newsandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"In 19th-century Japan, the tradition of woodblock prints flourished and offered a vivid glimpse into the daily lives of its nation's people. andlt;iandgt;Japan Journeysandlt;/iandgt;, a new book written by art historian Andreas Marks, brings together a gigantic selection of these beautiful and historic prints to show a stunning look into Japan's rich cultural heritage." and#8212; andlt;bandgt;BuzzFeedandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"A visually engaging trip through the Japanese landscape that will reward both print lovers and Japanophiles." and#8212; andlt;bandgt;Library Journalandlt;/bandgt;
Synopsis
Presenting classic Japanese woodblock prints, Japan Journeys offers a unique perspective on the country's most famous travel destinations.
Art historian Andreas Marks has gathered together approximately two hundred Japanese woodblock prints depicting scenic spots and cultural icons that still delight visitors today. Many of the prints are by masters such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, and Utagawa Kunisada, and currently hang in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. Katsuhika Hokusai, the artform's most celebrated artist, is also well represented, with many prints from his -Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road- series and -Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji- series, including his world-renowned -Great Wave- print.
In addition to prints showcasing Japan's natural beauty, Marks' carefully curated selection depicts roads and railways; favorite pastimes, such as blossom viewing and attending festivals; beloved entertainment, such as kabuki theater; the fashions they wore, and the food they ate. Marks is a leading expert on Japanese woodblock prints, and his Illuminating captions provide background context to the scenes depicted.
Images of Japan are a continual source of fascination and delight for visitors and armchair travelers alike, and this original gift book also provides a valuable resource for art historians, scholars, and anyone interested in Japanese art, history, and traditional culture.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Dr. Andreas Marksandlt;/bandgt; is the Head of the Japanese and Korean Art Department and Director of the Clark Center at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. From 2008 to 2013 he was the Director and Chief Curator of the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in California. Before coming to the U.S., he was the Managing Director of an international exhibition and fair organizer based in Germany with branches in Calif., the U.K., Australia, and China. He has a master's degree in East Asian Art History from the University of Bonn, and a Ph.D. from Leiden University in the Netherlands.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;At locations like the Berkeley Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Honolulu Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, San Antonio Museum of Art, and San Diego Museum of Art, Dr. Marks has curated and co-curated 14 exhibitions on various aspects of Japanese art including paintings, prints, ceramics, weaponry, as well as works of bamboo.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Amongst others, he is the author of andlt;iandgt;Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks, 1680and#8211;1900andlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Genji's World in Japanese Woodblock Printsandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;Kunisada's Tokaido: Riddles in Japanese Woodblock Printsandlt;/iandgt;. His andlt;iandgt;Publishers of Japanese Prints: A Compendiumandlt;/iandgt;, is the first comprehensive reference work on print publishers from the 1650s to 1990s. In June 2014, he receives the annual Award of the International Ukiyo-e Society in recognition of his research and publications. He is currently working on his new exhibition and catalog andlt;iandgt;Seven Masters: 20th-century Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Wells Collectionandlt;/iandgt; that will be shown at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in fall of 2015.