Verzameling prenten van Hisui - de eerste reeks 1915

Sugiura Hisui designed this print collection in Japan in 1915 using woodblock printing. It embodies the cultural shifts of the Taisho period when Japan opened to the West. Note the stylized floral motifs and the muted color palette. These elements reflect the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement from Europe which, at the time, was introduced into the Japanese art scene. Hisui worked as a designer for the Mitsukoshi department store, a major player in introducing Western consumer culture to Japan. The print collection itself, with its blend of traditional techniques and modern design sensibilities, catered to the growing urban middle class seeking sophisticated, yet distinctly Japanese aesthetics. To understand this work fully, we can draw on design history, studies of Japanese consumer culture, and the history of printmaking. By understanding the cultural and institutional context, we can appreciate this piece as a visual marker of Japan's negotiation of tradition and modernity.