"L'estampe japonaise".

"L'estampe japonaise".
By Nelly Delay.
Ed. Hazan, 2012.
In French.
328 pages.
Measurements: 38 x 30 x 4.5 cm.

The Nihonbashi bridge, Mount Fuji and the ever-present nature, the play of light and transparency through the sudare, the Kabuki theater, the courtesans in the green houses, the faces and the mirror... so many themes that are a permanent source of inspiration for Ukiyo-e artists over the centuries. Following a historical plot from the end of the 17th century to the present day, Nelly Delay explains the permanence of these themes in the art of engraving. She describes the historical, cultural and social context in which this art emerged and evolved over the centuries and shows how deeply rooted it is in Japanese civilization. Explains the origins of printmaking and the path that bold artists such as Moronobu and Kiyonobu followed in making the first woodcuts for black-and-white prints. It shows how the artists of the 18th century and their brocade prints enabled ukiyo-e to later reach a true golden age: Utamaro, eternally inspired by women; Sharaku and the faces of actors; Hokusai, the "old madman of drawing", Hiroshige and nature, Kuniyoshi and his fantastic subjects, and so on.