Chris Uhlenbeck

Women and men—strong, proud, tragic or beautiful—from the heyday (1765-1865) of Japanese printmaking are the subject of this book. The Riddles of Ukiyo-e seeks to dig below the surface of the prints to describe the often subtle iconography employed in these masterful creations by the most famous artists of their time. It begins with Suzuki Harunobu's subdued and introverted scenes...

Twentieth-century Japanese printmaking has come in for relatively little attention. Classic Hokusai and Hiroshige landscapes and Utamaro's beautiful images of women remain the dominant form. All the same, since the 1990s museums and private collectors have shown a growing interest in shin hanga ('new prints'): balanced designs printed on luxurious paper, with the finest pigments and in smaller editions. They...