Silver Wind: The Arts of Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828)

With "Silver Wind: The Arts of Sakai Hoitsu," the Japan Society of New York has brought to the table all the formidable strengths for which its art exhibitions are known. These include blazing new paths of scholarship, offering stimulating visual connections, and marshaling resources from Japan and the United States. It is no exaggeration, therefore, when, in his forward to "Silver Wind," the Japan Society's president claims that "New York City is perhaps the greatest center, outside Japan itself, for the study and appreciation of Japanese art..."The art covered in "Silver Wind" dates to the Edo period (1615-1868) of Japanese history and reflects the style known as Rimpa. In this regard, it covers the same time period and same stylistic movement addressed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's recent publication "Designing Nature: The Rinpa Aesthetic in Japanese Art," and readers will find Sakai Hoitsu represented in that catalogue as well.Readers with interests that run more to the revolutionary nature of Rimpa art within the historical sweep of Japanese art and the continued influence of the style will probably prefer "Designing Nature" over "Silver Wind." On the other hand, readers seeking a model for in-depth scholarship on one Japanese artist should opt for "Silver Wind." Quite apart from these differences of focus, readers whose preference in Kyoto villas run to the Silver Pavilion rather than the flashier Golden Pavilion will find far greater subtlety and reward in the "Silver Wind" art of Sakai Hoitsu.

love all the pictures and the information worked well for my needs. Really will use the book often in the future

The book has good reproductions of wonderful pictures and offers a lot of information on each picture. My one problem is that the author tries to westernize the approach of the artists, instead of letting them be what they are, Japanese, with their very unique and appealing aesthetic. As I buy catalogues mostly for the pictures I can only highly recommend it.

It's a very beautiful book of one of my favorite artists with good historical background on the artist as well as the artist's development of a personal style.

Bought for my wife. She loves it.I do not have 13 more words to say and if you persist on every comment I will quit commenting at all

Excellently-illustrated book with some glorious works by this artist. Well-researched and full of delights, surprises - and a source of inspiration. Excellent.

Great book on great art of Sakai Hoitsu.