Ukiyo-e artworks — those colorful Japanese paintings and woodblock prints depicting varied subjects such as sumo wrestlers, pretty women, kabuki theater actors and natural scenery, as well as moments in Japanese folklore and history — were all the rage in Japan from the 17th through 19th centuries. The genre, whose name means “pictures of the floating world,” was so popular in fact that it also gained a following in Europe, and not the least of its admirers was Vincent Van Gogh himself.
Today, ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints, now considered antiques, have a cult following, particularly in Europe. One of the collectors of the works is Polish-French art lover Jerzy Leskowicz, who owns about 2,000 ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Part of his enviable collection is Katsushika Hokusai’s 19th-century work “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” one of the best-known Japanese artworks from any period. Another is Utagawa Hiroshige’s “A Sudden Shower over the Ohashi Bridge and Atake,” said to be Van Gogh’s favorite.
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“Virtually all of Van Gogh’s landscapes were inspired by Hiroshige,” Leskowicz said.
“The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” and “A Sudden Shower Over the Ohashi Bridge and Atake” are some of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints from Leskowicz’s collection currently on view at Poland’s National Museum, in Warsaw. This is the first time that the prints have been publicly exhibited. The exposition will run until May 7.
Source: designfaves.com