Painting Edo: Selections from the Feinberg Collection of Japanese Art

A sweeping and lavishly illustrated overview of a transformative period in Japanese art-making

Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868) witnessed the arrival of peace after centuries of warfare, together with economic prosperity, population growth, and increased urbanization. The arts of the period flourished, reflecting and inflecting these fertile conditions. Painting Edo: Selections from the Feinberg Collection of Japanese Art explores this rich visual culture, highlighting works from an unparalleled collection to showcase the masters of various Edo schools and lineages. Beautiful illustrations punctuate the catalogue’s essays: Yukio Lippit situates the works within a broad cultural history of early modern Japan, and Rachel Saunders focuses on a single artist, offering fresh perspectives on the late “bird-and-flower paintings” of Sakai Hōitsu. Together, these essays unpack the literary, artistic, and cultural histories that form the basis for how these masterful works would have been received in their time—and for how we can best understand them today.

A complete catalogue of the Feinberg Collection will be published in July 2020.