-
Princeton University Library
Marquand Library of
Art & Archaeology -
-
ABOUT: Welcome to Marquand Library's blog highlighting our rare book collection and all things visual. Our staff are delighted to share our growing collections and we invite guest contributions from those who use our materials for teaching and research.
-

First Marquand Library of Art & Archaeology c.1908 -
-
Sign up for Blog updates:
- Join 96 other subscribers
-
-
NEW RARE BOOK
OF THE WEEK! -

African American Art Today: Four Major Artists / an exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Skunder Boghossian, Valente Malangatana, Twins Seven Seven, and Amir I.M. Nour. New York:, African-American Institute, 1974. -
-
BLOG ARCHIVE
- Chronicling Disaster in Mid-19th century Japan
- Catherine Perrot: An Early Treatise on Miniature Painting
- Before Ruscha?: All the Buildings on Amsterdam’s Canal Streets…ca. 1768
- Art Between the Wars: “Seikigun” and Experiments in ‘Synthetic Art’
- A Medieval Woman Artist and Musician at Work: The Gradual of Gisela von Kerssenbrock
-
Tag Archives: Asian Art
Art Between the Wars: “Seikigun” and Experiments in ‘Synthetic Art’
Marquand Library is fortunate to be the only institution to own a complete 7-issue run of the Japanese serial Seikigun [世紀群], published and hand-distributed in 1949 and 1950 by the artist/writer organization, The Century Association [Seiki no Kai]. The eclectically produced pamphlets were … Continue reading
Posted in 21st Century, Japanese, Japanese, Rare journal, Rare monograph
Tagged 21st Century, Asian Art, Franz Kafka, Japanese, Kobo Abe, sogo geijutsu, Synthetic Art, Teshigahara Hiroshi
Comments Off on Art Between the Wars: “Seikigun” and Experiments in ‘Synthetic Art’
Early 20th-Century Japanese Photography: Hakuyō Magazine
Published between 1922 and 1926, Hakuyō is, historically speaking, one of Japan’s most important photography magazines. It was in this journal that the early 20th century artistic evolution from traditional Pictorialism to Modernist Expressionism was documented–inadvertently–with photographs and essays about … Continue reading
Posted in Rare monograph
Tagged 20th century, Asian Art, constructivism, Fuchikami Hakuyo, Japanese, MAVO, Photography, Photography 20th Century, Photography Japanese
Comments Off on Early 20th-Century Japanese Photography: Hakuyō Magazine
Public and Private Sides of the Kabuki Actor
Woodblock-printed books and single-sheet prints related to the kabuki theatre were in high demand during the Edo period (1615-1868). It is estimated that more than a third of all woodblock prints published during this era were “kabuki prints” (kabuki-e). Like … Continue reading
Posted in East Asian, Japanese, Japanese, Rare monograph
Tagged 19th century, actors, Asian Art, Edo period, Japanese, Kabuki, Katsukawa Shunsho, portrait, Utagawa Kunisada, Utagawa Toyokuni, Woodblock prints, woodblock-printed books, Yakusha
Comments Off on Public and Private Sides of the Kabuki Actor
JAPANESE ‘POP-UP’ TEA HOUSES: Chaseki okoshiezu
As early as the seventeenth century–long before there was 3-D computer-modeling for home renovations on HGTV–Japanese carpenters (architects) created detailed three-dimensional paper models of famous tea houses, designed by the great tea masters of the past. Sakata Sakujirō,Chaseki okoshiezu [Folding-drawing … Continue reading
Posted in Rare monograph
Tagged 19th century, 20th century, Architecture, Asian Art, Edo period, Japanese, Meiji period, Models, Pop-up models, Taisho period, Tea, Tea ceremony, Woodblock prints
Comments Off on JAPANESE ‘POP-UP’ TEA HOUSES: Chaseki okoshiezu
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Legendary Imperial Hotel (Teikoku Hoteru): “The Jewel of the Orient”
On September 1,1923, Frank Lloyd Wright’s legendary Imperial Hotel [Teikoku Hoteru] opened to the public for the first time. Located near the emperor’s palace in Tokyo, it was built by the Japanese government to house foreign visitors and guests of … Continue reading
Posted in Art, United States of America, Japanese, Japanese, Rare monograph
Tagged 1893 Columbian Exhibition, 20th century, Architecture, Asian Art, Byodo-in, Frank Lloyd Wright, Great Kanto Earthquake, Imperial Hotel, Japanese architecture, Japanese Art, Teikoku Hoteru
Comments Off on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Legendary Imperial Hotel (Teikoku Hoteru): “The Jewel of the Orient”
AMERIKA 101
We all remember that classic tale of George Washington as a young boy—no, not the one about him chopping down the cherry tree—the one where he met with the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) on a balcony overlooking a random … Continue reading
Posted in Rare monograph
Tagged 19th century, American Revolution, Amerigo Vespucci, Asian Art, Christopher Columbus, Edo period, George Washington, Gyokuransai Sadahide, Gyountei Sadahide, Japanese, Queen Isabella, Simon Bolivar, Utagawa Sadahide, Woodblock prints, woodblock-printed books, Yokohama
Comments Off on AMERIKA 101
ON DAZZLING JAPAN AND EUROPE IN THE 19TH CENTURY
In 1804, when the book Picture Book Annual Events of the Green Houses (Seirō ehon nenjū gyōji) was published in Japan, who would have guessed that ninety years later it would take Europe by storm? However, by 1891, this two-volume … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Rare monograph
Tagged 19th century, Asian Art, Edmond de Goncourt, Edo period, Hayashi Tadamasa, Japanese, Jippensha Ikkū, Kitagawa Utamaro, Woodblock prints, woodblock-printed books, Yoshiwara
Comments Off on ON DAZZLING JAPAN AND EUROPE IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Banned Books: Kunisada’s “Tales of Genji”
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864) is often considered the leading woodblock print artist of the 19th century. A “superstar” in his own time, much of his fame and popularity can be credited to his beautiful and dynamic book illustrations parodying the classic … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Rare monograph
Tagged 19th century, Asian Art, banned books, Edo period, erotica, Genji monogatari, Japanese, Mitsuuji, Nise Murasaki inaka Genji, Rustic Genji, shunga, Utagawa Kunisada, Woodblock prints, woodblock-printed books, wrapper
Comments Off on Banned Books: Kunisada’s “Tales of Genji”
1950s Woodcuts and Artists’ Exchanges
Marquand recently acquired an inscribed first edition copy of Huang Yongyu mu ke ji 黃永玉木刻集 , a survey of the best of Huang’s early printmaking work. Although Huang is perhaps best known internationally for later ink paintings of flora and … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, East Asian, Rare monograph
Tagged 1950s, 20th century, Asian Art, China-Europe connections, Chinese Art, dedications to artists, Huang Yongyu, Jaroslav Bejček, socialist realism, Woodblock prints
Comments Off on 1950s Woodcuts and Artists’ Exchanges