From the captivating beauty portraits of Harunobu and Utamaro to the impressive landscapes of Hokusai and Hiroshige, this popular art form brilliantly showcases the essence of urban life in Japan during a period of profound transformation.

Notable pieces include a painting of a standing courtesan by Kaigetsudo Ando, a pivotal figure in the ukiyo-e genre, a complete set of Hiroshige’s final masterpiece, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, and prints from Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

This tour will be guided by Jon Adjetey from Sotheby’s Japanese Works of Art department, who will discuss the historical and artistic context behind the works as we examine the works in the show. 

Jon Adjetey joined Sotheby’s in 2020. He has a Masters degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in Japanese Studies and Japanese Language, where he specialised in modes of representation in woodblock prints, Superflat and popular visual culture. After over seven years working in Japanese art at both galleries and auction houses, he catalogues and researches woodblock prints, among other Japanese works of art for auction at Sotheby’s.

If you have any questions, please call The Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email us at: events@japansociety.org.uk.

Images: Left: Night View of Saruwaka Town (1856), Utagawa Hiroshige
Right: Combing Her Hair (1933), Torii Kotondo