Collection of Japanese Woodblock Prints

Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) have fascinated Europeans - in particular impressionist painters - for centuries, and I am no exception. Whether depicting Kabuki actors in famous historical roles, fierce warriors of ancient times, or beauties of the Yoshiwara, I instantly fell in love with this form of folk art when I arrived in Japan in 2015. Since then, I have initiated an important collection of prints of the Edo Era from numerous artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Kunisada, Isoda Koryusai and Kikukawa Eizan. Below are three of my favourite prints from these masters. If you happen to come to Japan for leisure, study or work, I suggest you visit the fantastic Ota Memorial Museum in Harajuku, the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, and the Kawasaki Ukiyo-e Gallery, all in or near Tokyo.

Images labels [left to right],

1. Portrait of a Beauty (c. 1818-1830), by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)

2. New Year Scene (1769), by Isoda Koryusai (1735-1790)

3. Niekawa (1852) from The Sixty-Nine Station of the Kisokaido, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)