Japanese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum

This volume is the first comprehensive look at the Ashmolean Museum's significant Japanese paintings collection, featuring works that range in date from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. From the entire collection, sixty of the finest paintings have been chosen to be discussed in detail, divided into sections based on the major schools of painting active in Japan from the Edo period (1615-1868) to the modern era. Throughout the discussion, the catalogue highlights the work of artists outside the traditional cultural centres of Edo and Kyoto by including artworks by Nagasaki and Osaka-based artists whose paintings will be less familiar to a Western audience. In addition, the catalogue focuses on painting formats that reached their peak of expression during this era such as painted albums and fan paintings both of which became advantageous choices for artists working in a variety of styles. A supplementary section of 100 further works is included to give the reader a greater understanding of the breadth of the Ashmolean's holdings. An introductory essay by Dr.
Oliver Impey, Keeper of Japanese Art at the Ashmolean Museum, recounts the formation of the collection, and an essay by Janice Katz, Sackler Fellow, is an in-depth look at two previously unpublished painted albums of the nineteenth century. The catalogue complements the exhibition, 'Japanese Paintings', on view from October 2003 to January 2004.