Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Published by: Sainsbury Institute and Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, 2014
Sir Hugh Cortazzi, former Ambassador to Japan, introduces fifteen books illustrated by Japanese artists over nearly seventy years. These sketchbooks and albums show the way in which Japanese artists maintained their traditional skills in drawing and colouring during an era in which Japanese society underwent revolutionary changes. They cover a wide range from the depiction of birds and flowers to Japanese customs. The images presented provide an unusual picture of Japanese life and art of the time. This is not a history, nor a critical study of a particular artist or period, but a collection of images from books collected over many years by the author.
The book was published by the Sainsbury Institute with the generous support from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.