Book Description

"Mountains of the Heart" explores Japan's landscape through the eyes of a renowned artist and provides new perspectives on a rare painting collection. It is an invaluable study of a landmark masterpiece that profoundly influenced the development of "ehon," or art books, which recorded Japanese life, culture, and geography for hundreds of years. A great master of the Japanese art-book tradition, Bosai eloquently discusses man's interaction with the environment. His work depicts small figures lost in the mist and forests of immense foothills, seeking nourishment for body and spirit. His work instills in the viewer a sense of nature's immense power and our comparative frailty, while still conveying the peaceful mood of the rural locales that he so lovingly immortalizes. Each image, in its serenity, completely captivates the viewer, and draws us into Bosai's world. "One secret of the appeal of "ehon" is that their artists see with such imagination and clarity, draw with such verve, and embrace any subject, however humble or imperfect," explains Roger S. Keyes, curator of a New York "ehon" exhibition, who declares that these books seize and hold a reader's attention, that they provide revelation and inspiration and turn willing readers into artists. "They empower people." This certainly holds true in "Mountains of the Heart," With comprehensive introduction and commentary by Stephen Addiss, this book will inspire anyone interested in the rich history of Japanese art. 22 color spreads, 22 black and white illustrations.