FUJI SANJU ROKKEI & EDO YONJU HAKKEI: THE THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MT. FUJI & FORTY-E

[Edo 1891]. A brocade silk covered album, Oban size, all edge gilt, with a total of 65 fine color prints, including 2 title pages, one dedication print,book size 24.5 x 35.5 cm., 4.15 cm. thick. A stunning group famous sights. R A R E ! . *** **** *** . . A STUNNING EXAMPLE WITH A SIXTY-FIVE . . . COLOR WOODBLOCK BLOCK PRINTS . . . BY THE MASTER OF JAPANESE LANDSCAPE . . * Hiroshige II [1826-1869] and III [1843-1894]: Were one in the same, a pupil of the most famous and great master of landscape & composition, Ando Hiroshige I. . Using his master's name plus his old name Ichiryusai, he was the adopted son of Hiroshige I and was a very skilled painter, who actually painted alongside & with the master until his master's death in 1858. . After that, Ichiryusai specialized in Japan's modernization, railroad prints depicting these new innovations recently imported from the West around Yokohama, as well as issuing many series of beautiful landscape views and scenery. . In his later years, he executed a most beautiful and exquisite set of his own interpretation of his master's most well-known series of prints showing Mt. Fuji and the celebrated places around Edo. This was not done to merely copy the master's works, but rather as a sincere Confucian tribute to his adopted father [& now father-in-law] and master. He married his master's daughter. . He took each of the master's views & repainted them in pastel colors with great control & precision. Some of the more delicate places such as rainbows and clouds behind a flock of birds were actually brushed on by hand, a technique rarely ever done. The woodblocks used were of the highest quality, a majority of which were center cuts & these have left a most beautiful wood-pattern in the print. This example shows 28 prints from the Fuji Sanju Rokkei and 35 from the Edo Yonju Hakkei series, with the title page from each present. . There is a dedication & memorial print to Hiroshige I from his faithful son and pupil. This print is most similar to one found as the frontispiece to the book by E. F. Strange: THE COLOR PRINTS OF HIROSHIGE, London [1925]. . It's clear that this print by Kunisada [who is Toyokuni I] was used as a model by Ichiryusai, as it differs in what the master is holding. Kunisada shows him holding his rosary beads, while Ichiryusai shows the master with his Fude [brush pen] and paper in hand. Ichiryusai and Kunisada had collaborated to issue a series of 36 prints: EDO JIMAN or THIRTY-SIX PLACES OF WHICH YEDO IS PROUD. . Ichiryusai has taken much care to represent the most wonderful views of Mt. Fuji & Edo with great skill. A majority of these prints are certainly well-known to the art world at large, as well as by Japanese print collectors. . Many of these prints show up in the usual reference books. Some of the more famous Edo views are showing a falcon in winter, rain on the river bridge, storks, cat view in Asakusa, busy street scenes, Asakusa temple & lantern in snow, river scenes &c. . Some Mt. Fuji views show many snow scenes, seasonal views, cherry blossoms, a majority show water and mountains, a very charming set of prints. . Alternate title is MEISHO EDO HYAKKEI. . *** THE BINDING: This stunning album is beautifully bound in traditional silk-gilt brocade, with prints on both sides of an accordion folded album. . *** Color photos are posted to our website. . *** REFERENCES: . L. Roberts: A DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE PRINTS ARTISTS p.44-45 for background on Hiroshige I,II & III. * E. F. Strange: THE COLOR PRINTS OF HIROSHIGE, * R. Lane: IMAGES FROM THE FLOATING WORLD p.232-254, most all of the prints in this album are listed under Hiroshige I's series: MEISHO EDO HYAKKEI: ONE HUNDRED FAMOUS VIEWS OF EDO. . *.