Utamaro
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good. Jacket: Worn/faded - no tears. Page Condition: Good. Markings: No markings. Usual shelf-wear. Rubbed edges.
Few artists have captured the ephemeral beauty of the human form with the precision and poetry of Kitagawa Utamaro, the eighteenth-century Japanese master whose woodblock prints redefined the boundaries of the ukiyo-e tradition. This authoritative Phaidon volume chronicles the life and extraordinary output of one of Japan's most celebrated artists, whose intimate portrayals of women — from courtesans to geisha — remain among the most recognisable images in the history of world art. Utamaro's compositions are presented here in rich detail, illuminating his technical mastery of line, colour, and psychological depth within the floating world of Edo-period Japan. Beyond the visual splendour, the text situates Utamaro within the broader social and cultural currents of his age, arguing that his work constitutes a profound meditation on desire, identity, and the transient nature of beauty. Phaidon's scholarship is meticulous, drawing on extensive art-historical research to offer both the seasoned collector and the curious newcomer an unrivalled lens through which to appreciate a body of work that continues to captivate — and provoke — centuries after its creation.
Author: -
Format: Hardback
Published: 1961, Phaidon
Genre: History of arts
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good. Jacket: Worn/faded - no tears. Page Condition: Good. Markings: No markings. Usual shelf-wear. Rubbed edges.
Few artists have captured the ephemeral beauty of the human form with the precision and poetry of Kitagawa Utamaro, the eighteenth-century Japanese master whose woodblock prints redefined the boundaries of the ukiyo-e tradition. This authoritative Phaidon volume chronicles the life and extraordinary output of one of Japan's most celebrated artists, whose intimate portrayals of women — from courtesans to geisha — remain among the most recognisable images in the history of world art. Utamaro's compositions are presented here in rich detail, illuminating his technical mastery of line, colour, and psychological depth within the floating world of Edo-period Japan. Beyond the visual splendour, the text situates Utamaro within the broader social and cultural currents of his age, arguing that his work constitutes a profound meditation on desire, identity, and the transient nature of beauty. Phaidon's scholarship is meticulous, drawing on extensive art-historical research to offer both the seasoned collector and the curious newcomer an unrivalled lens through which to appreciate a body of work that continues to captivate — and provoke — centuries after its creation.