Copyright© Ota Memorial Museum of
Art. All rights reserved.
( Will be closed on January 4, 12,18, 25, 27-29 and Fabruary 1,8,15,22nd))
①30th Anniversary of Ōta MemorialMuseum of Art, one of the most distinguished ukiyo-e museums in the world
●Torii Kiyonaga “ Viewing the Full Moon at Massaki”
[Introduction]
●Suzuki Harunobu “Poems of the Four
Seasons: Rain in May”
●Kitagawa Utamaro “Portrait of
Tomimoto Toyohina”
●Taiso Yoshitoshi “Two Heroes Fighting on the Hōryūkaku, a Scene from the Novel “Hakkenden”
●Kobayashi Kiyochika “Cat with a Lantern”
Translation supervised by Princeton University Language Project
●Tōshūsai Sharaku “Arashi RyūzōⅡas a Money Lender, Ishibe Kinkichi”
③Experience the 200 year history of Ukiyo-e prints
●Katsushika Hokusai “Thirty-six Views of Mt.Fuji:
the Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa”
●Utagawa Hiroshige “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: A Sudden Shower at Ōhashi Bridge near Atake”
JANUARY
S M T W T F S
01 02
03 04 05 06 07 08 09
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
The Ōta Memorial Museum of Art was established in January 1980 in Harajuku; January 2010 marks its 30th
anniversary. The museum’s collection mainly consists of about 12,000 ukiyo-e works amassed by Ōta Seizō Ⅴ (1893-1977),
the late chairman of the Tōhō Insurance Company.
Saddened by the outflow of numerous ukiyo-e prints to the West, Ōta devoted himself to gathering these
works, from the late Taishō Period until his death in 1977.
For this exhibition,
we have selected the most famous ukiyo-e
masterpieces among our collection. The entire spectrum of ukiyo-e is
represented, ranging from early ukiyo-e
works like those in the style of the Hishikawa School to the Taishō New
Style prints, allowing viewers to journey through the entire
history of ukiyo-e wood block prints.
Furthermore, the collection boasts many prints in excellent condition as well
as works that exemplify beautiful techniques in carving and printing. Please immerse
yourself in the charm of Edo culture and ukiyo-e through this exhibition—a rare opportunity to see classic
works by the masters Suzuki Harunobu, Kitagawa Utamaro, Toshusai Sharaku, Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.
The foundations for the Ōta Memorial Museum of Art were first laid out in Ginza in 1977. Following three years of preparation, the museum opened officially in Harajuku. January 2010 marks its 30th anniversary. The museum is an internationally renowned institution with regards to its ukiyo-e collection. Numerous exhibitions have been organized here with diverse themes, totaling about 400 exhibits including preparations and external exhibits. We have also been engaged in active collaborations with various foreign museums: the Guimet Museum in Paris, the Victoria and AlbertMuseum in London, the Royal Museums of Art and History and the Royal Library inBrussels
The collection of the museum largely consists of 12,000 pieces of ukiyo-e wood block prints collected by the late Ōta Seizō Ⅴ. In addition, the collection includes 626 pieces of ukiyo-e prints of Hokusai donated by the late Nagase Takeshiro and approximately thousand pieces of ōgi-e (fan painting) acquired by the Kōno-ike family, a wealthy merchant family from the Kansai region. The collection of Ōta Memorial Museum of Art, which continues to expand even today, is known for the great condition in which the art works are kept, preserving the vivid colors of the original prints.
Our collection represents ukiyo-e prints from various periods and artists: early wood block prints started by the Hishigawa School, Suzuki Harunobu who contributed to the development of the style of ukiyo-e called nishiki-e (multi-colored prints), Kitagawa Utamaro and Tōshūsai Sharaku who gained the popularity in the Kansei era (1789-1801), Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige famous for their meisho-e (pictures of celebrated places) in the Tempō era (1830-1844) and ukiyo-e prints in the late Edo, Meiji Periods and relatively recentTaishō prints. Through this exhibition, you will observe the 200 year long history of ukiyo-e wood block prints. Please experience the dynamic culture of the Edo Period through these ukiyo-e prints.
Pigments used for ukiyo-e prints are very delicate and can be easily damaged with exposure to light. Therefore, extreme caution is required for the preservation and public showing of these prints, especially for the important works. In this exhibition, you will have a chance to see precious ukiyo-e masterpieces which are rarely displayed to the public. Please enjoy the masterpieces by Harunobu, Sharaku, Utamaro, Hiroshige and Hokusai at this rare opportunity.