Reviews

Supremely prolific and marvelously inventive, Hokusai, one of Japan's most famous artists, has left a body of work comprising almost 30,000 items. This volume, designed as a catalog to accompany an exhibition in London, gives us an overview of 13 drawings and 151 woodblock prints representing landscapes, amorous couplings, kabuki actors, and scenes of daily life in 18th-century Japan. Although the biographical introduction is short, each artwork has an ample explication to place it in the context of Japanese society and Hokusai's oeuvre. The superb quality of the color reproduction on acid-free paper makes this an excellent complement to Richard Lane's more comprehensive Hokusai: Life and Works (Dutton, 1989). Recommended for all libraries.-- David McClelland, Temple Univ. Lib., Philadelphia