Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints in the Anne Van Biema Collection

by Ann Yonemura, Donald Keene, Andrew Gerstle

Published in conjunction with a 2002-2003 exhibition held at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. the museum's first major presentation of Japanese prints from the Edo period (1615-1868). The prints come from a collection of ukiyo-e prints acquired by Anne van Biema since the 1960s, which she selected for their verve and artistry out of the tens of thousands that were published during the 18th and 19th centuries (a fact that makes their research daunting). Five essays, including one by curator Yonemura (Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery), discuss various aspects of Kabuki and Kabuki actor prints, warriors and heroes, and court classics and popular prints (poetry and parody in ukiyo-e . The catalogue follows, presenting full-page reproductions and extensive commentary. 9.5x12 Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002