Hiroshige / Eisen: The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido

by Sebastian Izzard (Editor, Introduction), Hiroshige Utagawa (Illustrator), Keisai Eisen (Illustrator)

Reproduced from the finest surviving edition of the original manuscript, this book offers an unforgettable portrait of daily life in 19th century Japan. Each plate teems with unique characters, from beggars and brawling men to boaters and finely clothed women; and the artists' gentle humor imbues them all with remarkable, human vitality. Behind the travelers loom castles, cities, powerful waterfalls and other sites familiar to lovers of Japanese history. Readers will travel from station to station through changing seasons, rural roads and city streets, on a journey that explores every stratum of a diverse society.

Commentary by art scholar and curator Sebastian Izzard, Ph.D. accompanies each image, offering new insights into the artists' processes, and into the survival of their work. Many of the wood blocks used in printing the original Sixty Nine Stations changed radically after the early editions, and Izzard addresses the protean nature of each image. His commentary details the manuscript's survival during the dramatic social shifts and economic hardship of Hiroshige and Eisen's time, urging an appreciation for its evolution over the years. The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido tells the story of a landmark, immortal artists, and an enduring masterpiece. 71 color images.

Genres: Japan, Art

159 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2008

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars)

Perhaps I was drawn to this by a sense of the parallels between a contemporary viewer just emerging from pandemic related travel restrictions and an Edo era viewer considering non-utilitarian internal travel for the first time?

I'm not a fan of Eisen's humor, and some of Hiroshige's compositions towards the end become a bit drab and repetitive. I can imagine a more lavish printing (I haven't seen Taschen's XXL version yet) or more informative text (although I appreciate the concision of what is provided here).

Minor quibbles though in a collection with so many inventive perspectives, uses of color, and uses of the printing medium itself. I have no expertise to opine on the historical/geographic/cultural/artistic value of these works, but I certainly enjoy the prints.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the stunning prints in this reproduction of 'The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido,' by Eisen and Hiroshige. The landscapes and the village scenes are gorgeous and capture the intimate details of life in 19th-century Japan. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Japanese art, history, or anyone interested in simply browsing through a beautiful book.