《日本木刻版畫藝術的發展史，回顧17世紀蓬勃發展的浮世繪Taschen 40週年紀念版》
木刻版畫藝術 • 日本傑作的視覺史從馬奈到梵谷19 世紀歐洲現代主義的先驅們毫不掩飾他們對日本藝術的熱愛，憑藉其所有的感性、自由和熱情，木刻版畫促成了日本藝術的浪潮，它首先迷住了法國，後來風靡了整個歐洲——但經常被誤解為有助於激發西方創造力的“異國情調”的工藝品 

事實上，日本木刻版畫是一種西方不存在的領域，現代藝術中一些最具顛覆性的想法——包括，正如卡爾·馬克思所說：「所有堅固的東西都會融化到空氣中」——木刻版畫是在 1700 年代在日本發明的，並以前所未有的方式在北齋等大師的設計中表達出來，後來在19世紀初期受到推崇。 

這本書源自原始的XXL專著，通過在歷史背景展示最傑出的日本木刻版畫，揭開了一種深受喜愛但鮮為人知的藝術形式的面紗。從17世紀頹廢的浮世繪或“漂浮世界的圖畫”的發展，到 20 世紀初版畫的衰落和後來的復興，本書收錄的畫作不僅展現出無與倫比、記錄藝術史上的一種獨特流派，也是日本不斷變化的習俗和文化發展的體現。 

從神秘的山脈到白雪皚皚的山口，從武士劍士到商店櫥窗裡的性工作者，每一件作品都被視為一件藝術品，揭示了主題背後的故事和人物。我們發現了木刻版畫的四大主題——美人、演員、風景和花鳥作品——以及對相撲選手、歌舞伎演員或迷人妓女的描繪——這些人氣角色在“漂浮的世界”中佔據了一席之地，他們的粉絲群助長了木刻版畫的瘋狂生產。我們深入研究了惡魔、鬼魂、食人者和超凡脫俗的生物折磨著活人的可怕而晦澀的畫面——這些令人驚嘆的畫面至今仍繼續影響著日本漫畫、電影和電子遊戲。我們見證了這些作品如何以其令人難以置信的廣度，從日常場景到情色，從武術到神話，由其創作者的技術精湛和無懈可擊的眼光結合在一起，以及出版商如何以巨大的獨創性和詼諧的機智讓藝術家規避政府的審查。 

作為我們 40 週年系列的一部分，以輕量級、易於訪問的方式彙編了來自全球博物館和私人收藏的最佳作品，提供了廣泛的介紹引導我們一探日本藝術史上這個瘋狂時期。
 
【關於TASCHEN塔森】
1980年創立於德國科隆的出版社，至今超過40年，以身為文化考古學家自居，TASCHEN已成為藝術出版的代名詞，幫助世界各地的書迷用書本欣賞藝術、人類學、設計和流行文化，為了慶祝40週年，精選高人氣主題推出一系列新版本——用更豐富的內容、更實惠的價格，讓讀者擁有無可挑剔的藝術書籍。

From Edouard Manet’s portrait of naturalist writer Émile Zola sitting among his Japanese art finds to Van Gogh’s meticulous copies of the Hiroshige prints he devotedly collected, 19th-century pioneers of European modernism made no secret of their love of Japanese art. In all its sensuality, freedom, and effervescence, the woodblock print is single-handedly credited with the wave of japonaiserie that first enthralled France and, later, all of Europe—but often remains misunderstood as an “exotic” artifact that helped inspire Western creativity.

The fact is that the Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon of which there exists no Western equivalent. Some of the most disruptive ideas in modern art—including, as Karl Marx put it, that “all that is solid melts into air”—were invented in Japan in the 1700s and expressed like never before in the designs of such masters as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Hiroshige in the early 19th century.

This volume, derived from the original XXL monograph, lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan.

From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. We discover the four pillars of the woodblock print—beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions—alongside depictions of sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, or enticing courtesans—rock stars who populated the “floating world” and whose fan bases fueled the frenzied production of woodblock prints. We delve into the horrifying and the obscure in prints where demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures torment the living—stunning images that continue to influence Japanese manga, film, and video games to this day. We witness how, in their incredible breadth, from everyday scenes to erotica, the martial to the mythological, these works are united by the technical mastery and infallible eye of their creators and how, with tremendous ingenuity and tongue-in-cheek wit, publishers and artists alike fought to circumvent government censorship.

As part of our 40th anniversary series, this edition compiles the finest extant impressions from museums and private collections across the globe in a lightweight, accessible format, offering extensive descriptions to guide us through this frantic period in Japanese art history.

About the series

TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program—now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.