Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales
By John Stevenson
$95.00 (hardcover)

>>>THIS ITEM IS TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK<<<

Like the exhibition of the same name, Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales focuses on two series of woodblock prints, one from near the beginning of the artist's career and one from near its end. Together the series provide an excellent overview of Yoshitoshi's artistic development.

One Hundred Tales of Japan and China (1865) is based on a game in which people sat in a darkened room and extinguished a candle with each ghost story that was told. New Forms of 36 Strange Things (1889–1892) presents Yoshitoshi's unique take on traditional tales and legends. Both series deal with the supernatural and often the macabre, and Yoshitoshi (1839–1892), who lived through Japan's tumultuous late Edo and early Meiji periods, helped to break the boundaries of traditional print making. But his genius went beyond just the flouting of convention — he was a master of composition and color with a deep command of narrative art and a profound understanding of psychology.

John Stevenson, a leading authority on the life and work of Yoshitoshi, offers insightful commentary on Yoshitoshi and his work.

160 pages, 9 1/2 x 12 in, richly illustrated, ISBN: 90-7482-271-1