Bøger af Matthi Forrer

Perfect for display or close observation, this impeccably produced collection of some of Hokusai's most renowned prints highlights the exquisite lines and delicate hues that have entranced viewers for centuries

Surimono (literally 'printed things') constitute one of the most delicate genres in Japanese printmaking. This genre fascinates because it combines poetry and image and because it presents a pictorial puzzle, which provides the viewer with a particular insight into the intellectual and literary world of late 18th- and early 19th-century Edo (today's Tokyo). Major artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kunisada, Totoya Hokkei and Yashima Gakutei, to name but a few, provided imagery to accompany the poetic exploits of poetry club members. The prints were circulated among networks of poets and friends and, in contrast to other prints of the period, were not produced for commercial gain. Intricate still lifes, historical and mythical heroes, actors on the stage and tranquil landscapes form avisual partnership with the witty poems (kyka). The beauty of these prints is enhanced by the astonishing printing quality, including the use of metallic pigments and blindprinting.The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is home to one of the most important collections of surimono in the world. Two recent major donations have enriched the collection to such a degree that a publication documenting the complete surimono holdings of the museum is justified. The true beauty of the collection can now be appreciated in full, with all the prints illustrated in colour for the first time.Matthi Forrer's deep understanding of poetry circles and of the major artists of the time has resulted in numerous revisions of the existing descriptions and of previously established chronologies within the genre.Surimono in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is thus an essential work of reference and at the same time a source of endless aesthetic enjoyment.

A comprehensive survey of the art of the kakemono, classic Japanese paintings on vertical scrolls.Once displayed for the tea ceremony and in the alcove (tokonoma) of traditional houses, the kakemono or kakejiku is a `painted hanging scroll,¿ which, in the variety of its themes, describes changing beauty and the flow of time. Subjects are in fact selected to satisfy the taste of the visitors, and harmony with seasons and events. As with Japanese writing, it should be read from right to left.Verisimilitude being of subordinate importance, what really matters is to convey `the power of the brush.¿ As long as the spirit and the essence of the image can be appreciated, any painting can be enjoyed as a journey into the artist¿s mind.Edited by Matthi Forrer and realized in collaboration with the Fondazione culture e musei of Lugano and the Fondazione Torino Musei, the book presents a selection of 120 kakemono from the important private Perino collection, offering a unique opportunity to discover Japanese painting between the 16th and 19th centuries.Most of the subjects are drawn from nature (flowers, birds and fish), painted realistically in extraordinarily precise detail. They include works of rare beauty by artists such as Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795), who worked in the imperial court and founded Maruyama-Shijo, one of the most prestigious naturalist schools of the period, Kishi Ganku (1749/56-1838/39), famous for his paintings of tigers, and Kusumi Morikage (1620-1690), painter of the Edo period whose works reflect his sympathy for farmers and the poor.

This sumptuously produced monograph showcases the work of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the last great Japanese masters of ukiyo-e prints, illustrations, and paintings.

This highly regarded survey of the works of a master of Japanese printmaking is now available in a convenient and attractively priced flexi edition.

Now available again, this delightful selection of prints depicting nineteenth century Japan's natural beauty is a colourful introduction to the country's most beloved artist.