Colours of Japan – Woodblock prints from the collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Katsushika Hokusai, Under the wave of Kanagawa, also known as the "Great Wave", 1830 – 1832 © BSB/Res/4 L.jap. K 408

Colours of Japan – Woodblock prints from the collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek presents masterpieces of Japanese coloured woodblock printing from three centuries: from the beginnings of multi-colour printing in the mid-18th century to shin-hanga, the so-called "new prints" of the 20th century.

In the Japan of the Edo period (1603 – 1868), the "pictures of the floating world" (ukiyo-e), as these prints are also called, were a regular feature of urban living and entertainment culture. Among the popular motifs, there were beauties, stars of the stage or landscapes. An outstanding feature of Japanese woodblock printing is the combination of excellent artistry and skilful craftsmanship. In works by artists such as Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshitoshi or Hasui, the particular style characteristics and varied cultural-historical references of this type of art become visible. Produced in great numbers as commercial art, many prints are considered as top-class works of art today.

When Japanese coloured woodblock prints started arriving in Europe and North America in the middle of the 19th century, they were welcomed with downright enthusiasm. They left diverse and unmistakeable marks in works of impressionism, art nouveau and other artistic movements – by artists such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh or Gustav Klimt. They are still as captivating today as in the past: through their particular aesthetic, their richness of patterns and detail, their imagery and not least their colourfulness.

The exhibition shows around 130 original exhibits from the library’s collection. Among them, there are elaborately illustrated books, rare tryptichs or single-sheet prints, such as Hokusai's world-famous work "Under the wave off Kanagawa", known as the "Great Wave". This icon of art could be acquired for the collection in the recent past, along with two further outstanding works by Hokusai, the "Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit" and "Fine Wind, Clear Morning", known as "Red Fuji". All three prints form part of the famous series of woodcut prints "Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji", which was published as of 1830. The prints will form a highlight of the exhibition.

In addition, individual aspects are addressed in detail at different locations in the building, and various works will be shown as large-format reproductions, making the detailed execution of the prints visible.

The Japanese collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek currently comprises around 90,000 printed volumes, 100 manuscripts and 1,000 single-sheet prints. In the woodcut print books and single-sheet prints of the collection, the technique of woodblock printing practised for centuries becomes tangible with respect to its artistic execution and aesthetic forms of expression. With Colours of Japan the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek dedicates an extra exhibition to its Japanese woodblock prints for the first time.