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Why Invest
in Japanese Woodblock Prints and Hokusai’s Shunga ?
Normally when we think about
investing in our mind we picture things such as real estate,
stocks and gold. But stocks and gold bars are all identical
and impersonal. You are not investing in shares or gold for
fun,but to get a financial return. Japanese woodblock prints
(shunga) on the other hand also offer an emotional
return. There is a lot to enjoy about Japanese woodblock
prints such as the craftmanship of the designer,the
woodcutter and the printer, the esthetics and artistry, the
composition, the use of color, printing details (for
instance the use of gauffrage and metallic pigments), the
inkbleed through visible to the backside, thedaring subjects
and themes and its historical value. At this time (2013) the
banks only give a low interest (1% in the Netherlands) so
why not just invest in Japanese art which you can enjoy at
the same time.
Why Hokusai? Katsushika
Hokusai (1760-1849) was the supreme individualist, capable
of producing prints, paintings and drawings of first quality
regardless of the general state of the art and society which
surrounded him,
not one of his followers could match either his technical
gifts or his superb independence. Hokusai’s kaleidoscopic
brilliance of color could degenerate, if imitated, all too
easily into vulgar gaudiness. And the nervous
tension of his line was all too often replaced by awkward
harshness.
Or as Tom Evans remarks in
‘Shunga, the Art of Love in Japan’: “...Hokusai’s
shunga are hard to love but easy to admire. They eye is
jerked from place to place by a series of emphatic
conflicting signals. Their
message is one of violence and impulsive
action, as if the artist was exorcising the darker side of
his nature. They often are illuminated by strokes of pure
genius which place them far above the level of the works
of the
other nineteenth-century masters”. [...]
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‘
Couple
and dogs ’
from the 'Gods
of Intercourse-series, c.1821 |
Although Hokusai has joined
the universal pantheon of Great Artists (Rembrandt, Van
Gogh, Picasso...etc.) since the impressionists embraced him
at the end of the nineteenth century it was mainly because
of his work in the landscape genre and his
famous manga series. His erotic work (except for the
Octopus design) was unjustly neglected for a long time. It
was not until recently that it changed (Kunsthal 2005) and
since then there have been numerous publications,
books and exhibitions on Hokusai’s work in shunga.
So, as an artist Hokusai’s art is among the most important
ever created and at this time his prints are still
affordable. If you look for the prints with
distinguishing designs, in a nice condition with fresh
colors you can be sure the value will only increase.
At this time there is a comprehensive
exhibition from Oct 3, 2013 to Jan 5, 2014 (the largest
ever!) on shunga called: Shunga: Sex and Humour in
Japanese Art, 1600-1900, held at the
>
British
Museum which will also have a major contribution
to the acceptance of its esthetics and have an increasing
effect on the value.
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‘
Couple
and Peeker ’
from the 'Gods
of Intercourse-series, c.1821
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We are specialized in shunga
and have a seperate section dedicated to Hokusai and can be
found if you > click
here.
Click here to check out our article on
the amazing complete
legacy of > Hokusai’s erotic work
In the extensively illustrated book on
shunga (more than 1300 images!) called
>
Japanese
Erotic Art, The Hidden World of Shunga
by Ofer Shagan you can find insightful tips on collecting
shunga.
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