Obtaining Images: Art, Production, and Display in Edo Japan

The Edo period (1603-1868) witnessed one of the great flowerings of Japanese art. Towards the mid-seventeenth century the Japanese States were largely at peace, and rapid urbanization, a rise in literacy and an increase in international contact ensued. The number of those able to purchase luxury goods, or who felt their social position required them, soared. At the same time, painters and artists were flourishing and the early eighteenth century saw the rise in popularity and importance of printmaking. While there were dominant styles and trends throughout the composite Japanese polity, the 'Tenka', there were also those peculiar to specific regions: most striking was the difference between the cultural and artistic styles of the 'Kanto' (Kyoto) and those of the 'Kamigata' (Osaka and Edo). In Obtaining Images, Timon Screech introduces the reader not only to important artists and their work, but also to the intellectual issues and concepts surrounding the production and consumption of art in Japan at that time. Rather than looking at art in the Edo period through the lens of European art, Screech contextualizes the making and use of painting and prints, elucidating how and why works were commissioned, where they were displayed and what special properties were attributed to them. The author argues that different imperatives are at work in the art of different traditions, and firmly anchors the art of Japan of this period in its contemporary context, offering a highly engaging and comprehensive introduction to the student and general reader alike.