"A feast for the eyes...the most complete volume you're ever likely to find about Hiroshige's
monumental masterwork [...] [A] rare compendium." -- The Japan Times 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.
