LITMIR.BIZ

      FIG. 36a, b

      ANONYMOUS

      Land Suitable for Rice Cultivation

      稲作 (1896)

      Book, 20 x 13.5 cm

      Author’s Collection

      Occasionally, books of scientific interest or those aligned with the particular interests of publishers were produced. The illustrations for this book, published in Kyoto in 1896, are exceptional. Examples of the sketches of rice and the environments in which rice grows would have been of great interest to a specialized agricultural-minded audience. They are included here to give the reader an idea of the broad scope of subject matter covered in nineteenth-century book publishing.

      One such illustrated book deserves particular mention, the three-volume Seitei Kacho Gafu (Seitei’s Album of Birds and Flowers) published in the Meiji period (1868–1912). The artist, Watanabe Seitei (1851–1918), was primarily a painter who also illustrated some beautiful books, most of which concentrated on flowers and birds (Fig. 38a–d). In these he blended Western realism with the delicate colors and washes of the Maruyama-Shijo school, thereby introducing a new approach to bird and flower painting (kacho-e). Japanese artists devoted a great amount of time studying the anatomy and flying patterns of birds. When we think there was no photography at the time, it is uncanny to imagine an artist so well versed in the characteristics of birds that he can picture them in such natural states as Seitei does in his book. It is absolutely beautiful, with each page more stunning than the last. The printing makes extensive use of the bokashi gradation technique. Many of the illustrations approach the appearance of watercolors. They epitomize the essence of Japanese taste.

      Artists from the powerful and prolific Utagawa school worked in all genres of ukiyo-e, including book illustrations. One of the finest exponents was Utagawa Sadahide Gyokuransai (1807–73), who illustrated many books relating to warriors (Fig. 39a–g).

      The artists mentioned above, among many, many others, contributed to some of the most beautiful books of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The illustrations in these books developed into a pure Japanese aesthetic sensitivity in composition and understanding of form. They were no longer dependent on a black outline and achieved what seemed impossible in the medium of book illustration through woodblock printing.

      FIG. 37a–c

      Katsushika TAITO II

      二代載斗 (active 1810–53)

      Kacho Gaden (Picture Book of Flowers and Birds) 花鳥畫田

      Book, 2 volumes, 22 x 13.5 cm

      Author’s Collection

      We can see Hokusai’s mastery of space and design in his student’s work. The birds in all three examples are full of life, playfully flying around flowers or diving into the rapidly flowing river. Apart from the green at the foot of the geese, the book is printed in black, gray and pink.

      FIG. 38a–d

      Watanabe SEITEI

      渡邊省亭 (1851–1918)

      Seitei Kacho Gafu (Seitei’s Bird and Flower Album) 省亭花鳥画譜 (1916)

      Book, 3 volumes, 24.5 x 16.5 cm

      Author’s Collection

      Seitei’s simple, asymmetrical compositions combine graceful calligraphic lines with delicate details and shading. In almost all of them, the subject is positioned in the corner of the design, leaving the rest of the page as negative space. His work was influenced by contemporary European paintings, which utilized light and shadow and perspective to give the impression of dimensionality.

      FIG. 39a The samurai in his undergarments.

      FIG. 39b Putting on gloves and donning his outer garment.

      FIG. 39c Lacing his socks.

      FIG. 39d Tying his fur-lined boots.

      FIG. 39e The back of the samurai as he secures his armor.

      FIG. 39f His armor in place as well as his elaborate sword.

      FIG. 39g

      His helmet and arrows in their quiver, giving him the fierce look of a high-ranking samurai.

      FIG. 39h

      The battle begins with an onslaught of arrows.

      FIG. 39a–h

      Utagawa SADAHIDE Gyokuransai

      玉蘭斉 貞秀 (1807–73)

      From Eyu Sanjyu Rokkasen Gafu

      英雄三十六歌仙より (1847)

      Book, 18 x 12.5 cm

      Author’s Collection

      Although Sadahide was a leading exponent of the panoramic view, painting bird’s-eye views of Japan’s main cities, he also illustrated many books related to warriors. This unusual book, published in 1847 by the Toto Book Store in Osaka, describes a samurai preparing for battle. Even though the samurai wears a sword, as we can see the battle is mostly conducted with bow and arrows.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      Poetry Prints and Picture Calendars

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