context: painting > sources

Japanese Art of the Edo Period by Christine Guth

This looks very like a common-or-garden cheapo paperback on the most popular period of Japanese art, but Guth knows her subject backwards. She knows her territory, organises her thoughts clearly, and backs it all up with facts. She's among the best I've read on social matters, the life context in which people lived and worked. Despite the generalist title, it is very much focussed on painting, and gives less space to the renowned print artists than you might expect. Recommended, especially if you find it as cheap as I did - remaindered at £4. Over twice that at Amazon at time of writing, and still well worth it.

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