The Moon:Woodblock Prints by Hokusai, Hiroshige and Other Artists

This luminous boxed set of woodblock prints celebrates the seductive power of the moon in the Edo period of Japanese art.

In Japanese printmaking, the moon appears as a quiet yet powerful presence, shaping atmosphere, marking time, and infusing scenes with emotion and narrative tension. These volumes bring together evocative nocturnal works by beloved artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and Kawase Hasui, revealing how a single motif can generate remarkably varied moods—from stillness and contemplation to drama and unease—across different periods and artistic approaches.
Landscapes, city views, and fleeting human encounters are arranged into a flowing visual sequence in which light, shadow, weather, and reflection recur and subtly transform. Select works appear in extended accordion-fold spreads that open outward to reveal expansive compositions, allowing prints to be seen in relation to one another and emphasizing rhythm, scale, and continuity.
Printed on highest quality paper with exceptional attention to color, line, and tonal nuance, the reproductions preserve the delicacy and graphic power of the original woodblock prints. Housed in a slipcase and accompanied by a booklet that provides historical and artistic context, the book offers a visually generous encounter with the moon as one of the most enduring and expressive subjects in Japanese art. | ANNE SEFRIOUI is the author of numerous art books, including Hiroshige: Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces (2021), Kingfisher with Lotus Flower: Birds of Japan (2022), Van Gogh: The Bigger Picture (2024) as well as Monet: The Bigger Picture (2025), Matisse: The Bigger Picture (2026) all published by Prestel.