Japanese Prints: The Art Institute Of Chicago

Another in Abbeville's Tiny Folios series, this little book is a real gem. The Art Institute of Chicago houses one of the world's most beautiful and comprehensive collections of Japanese woodblock prints. Clarence Buckingham, of the famed Chicago family, donated 12,000 prints. The book covers this exquisite collection of work from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, including Primitives, Courtesans, Actors, and Landscapes. It features works by masters such as Hiroshige, Hokusia, and Utamaro, as well as lesser-known artists like Shun'ei, Shunko, and Kiyonaga. Despite its small size, it captures the subtle colors, delicate paper texture, and intricate fabric designs of the original prints.