Originally published in 1852 and 1853, The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō is a richly entertaining series of woodblock prints created by master artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797-1861). The seventy-two finely executed prints include one for each resting point along the well-traveled Kisokaidō (Kiso Road)--a historic route stretching from Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto--plus views of the two endpoint cities and an additional series title page. Kuniyoshi never traveled the mountainous Kisokaidō, but he drew from historic events, kabuki plays, popular legends, and classical literature to illustrate his vision of the towns and stations along the road.
This stunning collection of colorful ukiyo-e prints exhibits Kuniyoshi's artistic mastery and clever sense of humor. Each work incorporates three elements: the main picture, an inset landscape depicting the particular station, and a title block. Using parody and pun (both for humor and to avoid government censorship), Kuniyoshi associated each point on the route with one of the most beloved stories of his day--from a reimagined Odyssey to the Japanese fairy tale of Urashima to popular kabuki scenes with courtesans and other "floating world" characters. He made that story the subject of the main picture and put clues to its identity in the title block. Kuniyoshi delighted in these hidden messages and used every inch of the paper to tell his story.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi: The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō celebrates the beauty, charm, and ingenuity of Kuniyoshi's work with more than seventy-five full-color illustrations, including reproductions of all the prints in the treasured series. Sarah E. Thompson provides an introductory essay on the history of ukiyo-e and a description of each print.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi: The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido

Arts & Photography

Thompson, Sarah E.

History & Criticism

Pomegranate

A beautifully illustrated introduction to Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e)―slipcased, with three frameable prints 
In Edo Japan, woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e (“pictures of the Floating World”) captured the entertainment culture of the urban elite and eventually many other subjects as well. These beautiful prints were the result of a meticulous craft process, in which an artist’s initial drawing was translated by expert carvers into multiple printing blocks for different colors. 
In this attractive volume, Sarah E. Thompson, curator of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, provides a highly readable overview of the cultural and artistic history of ukiyo-e, showcasing 120 exceptional prints from the museum’s world-class collection, by masters including Utamaro, Hokusai, and Hiroshige. She explores each of the principal genres in turn: beauty and fashion, the kabuki theater, landscape, nature, history and literature, and fantasy. 
Pictures of the Floating World features a traditional Japanese stab binding and is housed in a durable slipcase together with three remarkable prints, suitable for framing. It will be a must-have for all art lovers. Includes three frameable prints housed in a slipcase along with the book

Pictures of the Floating World: An Introduction to Japanese Prints

Graphic Design

Abbeville Press

How artists have interpreted the intrigues and love stories of The Tale of Genji, one of the world’s oldest novels 
Lady Murasaki’s Tale of Genji has delighted readers for more than 1,000 years and inspired writers to create numerous parodies. Artists have responded with a rich parallel tradition illustrating the courtly intrigues, love affairs and shifting alliances of the epic novel, as well as its retellings. This lavishly illustrated volume explores interpretations of the original story and its spinoffs by Japanese master printmakers such as Kunisada, as well as Hiroshige, Suzuki Harunobu and Chobunsai Eishi, bringing the characters to life in dazzling woodblock prints from the peerless collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.With insightful commentary from a leading Japanese print scholar, this book invites readers to explore the colorful world of The Tale of Genji and its visual afterlife.

Genji: The Prince and the Parodies

MFA Publications/Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Undercurrents in the Floating World: Censorship and Japanese Prints

Harootunian, H. D.

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

The Asia Society Galleries

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Thompson, Sarah E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Thompson, Sarah E.