Books on Ukiyo-e from the Russell Estate
The McCaw Foundation Library at the Asian Art Museum recently received a generous gift from the estate of Harry A. Russell. Mr. Russell, a native of the New York City, was an aficionado of Ukioy-e, a style of Japanese woodblock print. His collection of books on the subject includes an extensive encyclopedia of prints, many exhibition catalogues, and several guides for the preservation of Ukioy-e prints. Xiaojin Wu, SAM’s Curator of Japanese and Korean Art, accepted the donation on behalf of the library from members of the Russell family.
These donated books contain a wealth of rich pictorial content, as evidenced in these images from Genshoku Ukiyoe Daihyakka Jiten = Color Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ukiyo-e (Tokyo: Taishukan Shoten, c1981):
 Uo Zukushi Ayu Tenpo by Andō Hiroshige (Vol. 1) |
 Kenyu Hujo Ooiko by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Vol. 9) |
Ukioy-e is a type of woodblock print that became popular in Japan during the Edo period (16th– 19th centuries). The colorful figures and landscapes depicted in the crisp, rich colors of these prints created a substantial surge in the popularity of Japanese art at home and abroad. The influence of Ukiyo-e can be seen in western art styles such as Impressionism and Art Nouveau.
 Amerika Yokohama Honmura Honmakido by Andō Hiroshige (Vol. 9) |
 Musashi Nono Tsuki, from the series 月百姿 Moon Hundred Gesture by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Vol. 9) |
 Shoshin by Tanaka Kyoukichi (Vol. 1) |
Yueh-Lin Chen, Associate Librarian at the McCaw Foundation Library, is working with volunteers to catalogue the Russell donation. The titles will be easily retrieved by searching for “Harry A. Russell” through a keyword search in the SAM Research Libraries’ online catalogue (OPAC). A catalogue search for “Ukioy-e” will bring up many books about the general genre of Ukioy-e, as well as books about the ways Ukioy-e has influenced western art.
We would like to thank the Russell family for this generous donation.
– Yoshiko Boley and Kate Nack, McCaw Foundation Library Volunteers
These and many other books about Asian art are available for consultation in the McCaw Foundation Library for Asian Art, located on the lower level of the Asian Art Museum. Library hours are Thursday and Friday from 2:00 – 5:00 pm, and Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.