Farben Japans

The exhibition Farben Japans – Holzschnitte aus der Sammlung der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek shows Japanese color woodcuts spanning three centuries: from the beginnings of multicolor printing in the mid-eighteenth century to shin-hanga, the “new prints” of the twentieth century. Artistic excellence combined with craftsmanship characterize the Japanese color woodcuts. Works by artists such as Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshitoshi, and Hasui reveal the distinctive stylistic features and diverse cultural and historical references typical of this art form. The exhibition presents the entire spectrum of color-printed woodcuts: illustrated books, rare triptychs, or iconic single-sheet prints such as Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. In addition to a detailed illustrated section, the book accompanying the exhibition also contains a series of essays that shed light on various aspects of Japanese color woodcut prints and the context in which they were created.