Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne Van Biema Collection [Paperback]

Ann Yonemura (Author), Donald Keene (Author), Andrew Gerstle (Author), Elizabeth de Sabato Swinton (Author), Joshua S. Mostow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

Vivid portraits of Kabuki actors on and off stage, warriors, legendary heroes and heroines; depictions of courage, loyalty, romance, passion, ghosts, dreams, and the beauty of the natural world - all are encompassed by the prints included in Masterful Illusions. The richly illustrated book includes essays by an international group of scholars that elucidate the historic, economic, and cultural environment of Edo period Japan. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, European collections of Japanese prints were gathered and transported far from the vibrant urban centers of Edo period (1615-1868) Japan, and today foreign collectors continue to be fascinated by Japanese prints. The collection of Anne van Biema, one of few women to become a serious collector of Japanese prints, reveals her fascination with the vigorous imagery from the Kabuki theater in the urban metropolises of Edo (now Tokyo) and Osaka, in heroic feats from Japanese history and legend, magic, dreams, and the supernatural. A less numerous but important group of prints express the beauty of nature, landscape, and poetic themes. The collection is noteworthy for its inclusion of early Kabuki actor prints, substantial holdings of prints by the artists Toyokuni (1769-1825) and Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), and of Osaka actor prints. Among the works by Kuniyoshi is a complete set of his series of fantastic stories associated with the twelve animals of the annual cycle. Ann Yonemura is senior associate curator of Japanese art at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Other contributors include Donald Keene, Columbia University; Elizabeth de Sabato Swinton, Harvard University; and Joshua Scott Mostow, University of British Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The 332 prints in this exhibition catalog are not the standard repertoire of Japanese prints-simpering maidens and stylized views of Mt. Fuji. Dramatic and unfamiliar, they are mostly bold, vigorous depictions of kabuki actors playing the roles of the great villains and heroes of Japanese myth. In fact, the simpering maidens here are all male actors playing female roles. Since the 1960s, noted collector Anne van Biema has assembled a group of prints from Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo (old Tokyo) by a rich variety of artists both noted and obscure. The common thread is inventive graphic design coupled with rich coloration and dramatic action. The 133 superb, full-page illustrations each face a page of explanatory text that translates the Japanese script and sets the action in the print into the context of the play. Yonemura, senior associate curator of Japanese art at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, contributes an introductory essay and some of the catalog text. There are also five longer essays by scholars who discuss kabuki and the role of prints in Japanese society, as well as the inspiration behind some of the prints. This unusual, high-quality selection is recommended for art, academic, and larger public libraries.
David McClelland, Philadelphia
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Ann Yonemura is senior associate curator of Japanese art at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Other contributors include Donald Keene, Columbia University; Elizabeth de Sabato Swinton, Harvard University; and Joshua Scott Mostow, University of British Columbia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295982713
• ISBN-13: 978-0295982717
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,413,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is a truly beautiful, June 7, 2011

By 

A Chinese Art Collector - See all my reviews

This review is from: Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne Van Biema Collection (Paperback)

This book is truly a indispensible complementary work to the books that already published so far. Many pictures are unique, and well printed. It also includes a large number of kabuki/worrior painting that I like.

However, in the end of the book, it lists a long list of painting thumb, which was in the original exhibtion. So, a large number of paintings were not included in this book. I don't know why this book does not include those paintings.

I believe this book could be better if it include all the works. So, I reserve one star.