Customer Reviews

Utamaro and the Spectacle of Beauty

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This book is one of the most significant and important contributions to the field of scholarship in ukiyo-e. The argument is more sophisticated than the previous reviewer suggests -- rather than "stripping" the artist of "his individuality" Davis argues convincingly that the prints were designed to sell an enhanced reputation for Utamaro -- and that he and his publisher used their connections and period ideas of sophistication to create an aura of celebrity around Utamaro. It's a scholarly book, not a general one, that uses an impressive range of theory, primary documentation, and close analysis to give a new idea of the ukiyo-e artist. If you don't believe me, consider Donald Richie's review in the Japan Times: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20080323dr.html

The publisher's description about this book makes it sound pioneering, which it isn't. It's a slow read and there are a number of mistakes in the text. Nelson Davis dwells on points too long so you get the urge to skip ahead and she argues that Utamaro wasn't so much a person as a created persona, like a brand name. She strips the artist of his individuality and implies he was little more than a tool with no real personal voice - not an argument that I think holds water. The usual Utamaro prints are illustrated so there's nothing new there.