Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age: Woodblock Prints From the Meiji Era [Paperback]

Donald Keene (Author), Anne Nishimura Morse (Author), Frederic Sharf (Author), Louise Virgin (Author), Frederic A. Sharf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2001

Unlike traditional ukiyo-e prints, Japanese woodblock prints during the reign of Emperor Meiji--the famous ''Meiji period'' of 1867-1912--depicted current events rather than timeless scenes, and were printed in vivid colors reflecting the vibrancy of Japan's rush toward modernization at the turn of the century. Part commercial art, part ''photo-op'' before the fact, and part propaganda tool, the Meiji prints chronicle Japan's fascinated and ambivalent relations with the West, its emergence as an industrial and military power, and its populist emperor. In keeping with the new spirit of the Meiji years, the woodblock prints often feature lurid colors that prefigure 20th century poster art and stylistically point the way toward contemporary Japanese manga and animation. Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age features over 80 Meiji-era prints in full, dynamic color, along with two previously unpublished essays by the renowned historian and biographer Donald Keene on the Emperor Meiji and his times. Additional writings by curators Anne Nishimura Morse and Louise Virgin and the collector and historian Frederic Sharf place these writings in the context of their historical period, the collection itself, and their current home at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: MFA Publications (April 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878466193
• ISBN-13: 978-0878466191
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pictures of Change, August 3, 2004

By 

M. A Newman (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, 1868-1912 (Hardcover)

For many years prints from the Meiji period have gotten a bad rap. Collectors have prefered the earlier Edo works that are justly celebrated. The artistic crimes alleged against the Meiji period artisans include harsher colors and dyes as opposed to the more restrained palate of earlier Ukiyo-e period. Travelers to Japan in the 19th century were offended by the supposed garishness of these modern works.

Luckily, the prints of this period were saved for future generations by collectors of vision who saw the artisitic merit in these examples of the Meiji period. The works detailed in this book are among the finest examples of the genre. They show a nation in transition. The forms are very similar to the earlier types of woodblocks, but the subject matter is not. These works celebrate the transition of Japan to a modern nation state. The emperor is shown indulging in a number of modern pursuits (going to the races or the circus). But the general patriotic tone of these prints is not limited to the emperor. Both the Sino-Japanese and Russo Japanese wars provide a rich source of illustration. Personally, I find these works more fascinating as they show how the Meiji period artists incorporate old forms in new genres.

This book celebrates woodblocks in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston and features a great deal of commentary. The essays by Donald Keene are up to his usual high standard of scholarly excellence and serve to put the period into context. However the most interesting is by Frederic Sharf which describes the deliciousness of building a world class collection of Meiji era prints. It is not just the joy of collecting he describes, but pleasure to be gained from learning the history of a cherished object. Sharf generously donated his collection to the MFA, making this unequalled collection available to the wider public.

This book is essential to anyone seeking to collect these marvelous woodblocks (many of the ones pictured in the book can still be acquired and remain within the reach of the ordinary collector).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for any collection concentrating on Japanese art, November 8, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, 1868-1912 (Hardcover)

Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age is a specialty item which is recommended for any collection concentrating on Japanese art. Woodblock prints from the Meiji era are presented in a series of over 90 color illustrations which go beyond the traditional perception of Japanese subjects as gardens and geishas. These prints depicted current events and were painted in vivid colors, and Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age captures their vibrant spirit, along with history essential to understanding their meaning.