Edo meisho|Famous Sites of Edo
Medium
Two volumes; polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Each: 10 1/16 × 6 5/8 × 1/4 in. (25.6 × 16.8 × 0.6 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mary L. Cassilly, 1894
Accession Number
JIB79a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Edo Meisho (Famous Sites of Edo, created by the renowned Katsushika Hokusai 1800, is a captivating two-volume illustrated book from Japan's Edo period (16151868). Produced as a polychrome woodblock print with ink and color on paper each volume measures a compact 10 1/16 × 6 5/8 × 1/4 inches, making it an accessible guide to the bustling sights of Edo—modern-day Tokyo. Hokusai, a master of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), captures the vibrant urban life of the time through lively scenes featuring men and women in tea houses and other popular spots. This work exemplifies the woodbl...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...