A landmark book presenting the early deluxe versions of Hiroshige's Edo prints for the first
time! Utagawa Hiroshige's unique landscape series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (modern-day
Tokyo) first published in the 1850s is among the best-known collections of Japanese prints
and was revolutionary in its day. Individual prints from this collection are regarded as among
the finest works in all of Japanese art. In this series Hiroshige captures 118 locations in
and around Edo today's Tokyo during all four seasons and often from hitherto unknown and
unique perspectives. These views were first printed in exquisite luxury versions incorporating
innovative woodblock printing features like color gradation. No complete set of the early
versions exists today and this is the first book to present a complete set of the deluxe early
printings sourced from 32 different museums and private collections. Author Andreas Marks
consulted 4 700 prints in order to compile this definitive guide to Hiroshige's One Hundred
Famous Views of Edo. Marks presents the various printed versions along with reference images
showing how and where Hiroshige sourced his ideas for each view--from previous books and
illustrations. The result is a definitive guide to understanding the complexity of Hiroshige's
great work as well as the dynamics of the Japanese print market during this period. Marks'
introduction discusses the genesis of the series in the context of Japanese landscape art as
well as Hiroshige's personal biography. The book then presents all 118 prints together with
their source materials and a map showing the locations of each view followed by a detailed
appendix discussing the great color variations found in subsequent printings of the series.
