Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings, 1680-1860

Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings, 1680-1860 by Meech, Julia. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780295987866.

This beautifully illustrated, oversize catalogue (9.5x12") was published to accompany an exhibition at the Asia Society and Japanese Art Society in New York City in 2008. Eight lengthy essays describe different issues and protagonists in Edo print culture by leading art historians. The artists Hishikawa Moronobu, Okumura Masanobu, Suzuki Harunobu, and Katsukawa Shunsho, and the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo are each the subject of separate essays. The other essays examine ukiyo-e as material culture and private commissions. An exhibition checklist, with color plates of some of the works, a list of the works in Japanese, and an index conclude the volume. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)