Museums (395-0-1)
Topic
Japanese Woodblock Prints: From 1660 to the Presen
Instructors
Janice A Katz
Janice Katz, Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art, joined the Art Institute in 2003 and curates the museum’s quarterly exhibitions of Japanese prints in Gallery 107. Her most recent major exhibition at the Art Institute, Painting the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Masterpieces from the Weston Collection, and its accompanying catalogue focused on ukiyo-e paintings of the 17th through 20th centuries. Her publications include Japanese Paintings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (2003) and Beyond Golden Clouds: Japanese Screens from the Art Institute of Chicago and the Saint Louis Art Museum (2009). Janice received her PhD from Princeton University in 2004. Her research focuses on paintings from the Edo period (1615–1868) and the history of art collecting in Japan.
Meeting Info
Meets in Non-General PurposeRm: Thurs 1:00PM - 3:50PM
Overview of class
The production of commercial prints in Japan was the result of a popular revolution in Japanese society. Japan's great premodern cities, especially Edo (now Tokyo), were home to an increasingly prosperous, sophisticated, and literate urban dweller who would purchase images of their favorite celebrities of the day or the latest illustrated novel. This class will explore the birth of the commercial Japanese print, and its many incarnations leading to the designs of contemporary artists. During our discussions we will consider the changing role of the artist and issues of use and reception, including the part the West played in maintaining the popularity of Japanese prints into the 20th century.
Along with art historical analysis and a study of the commercial context of the prints, issues of connoisseurship will feature strongly in this class taught from a curatorial point of view. As this class will be conducted largely in the Art Institute's Japanese print storage area, it is a rare opportunity to view works of art up close and unframed, essential for an understanding of printing techniques and collecting practices.
Class Materials (Required)
No textbook required.
Class Notes
Please note that this course takes place off campus at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Waitlist information for this course: https://arthistory.northwestern.edu/courses/2024-2025/registration_waitlist.html
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for Art History majors and minors, & Art Theory majors and minors.