Art of the Japanese postcard : the Leonard A. Lauder Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston /

Forming the catalog of an unusual exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this book highlights the Leonard A. Lauder collection of Japanese postcards, given to the museum in 2002. Featured are essays by collector Lauder, Morse (curator, Japanese art, Museum of Fine Arts), Rimer (Japanese literature, Univ. of Pittsburgh), and Brown (art, California State Univ.). In 1900, when the Japanese government relinquished control over the publication of postcards, numerous artists began to produce images of high aesthetic quality, which reflected artistic exchanges with Europe (1890-1940) and the rising quest for individual and national identity in the period following the Russo-Japanese war (1904-5). Divided thematically, the catalog entries include postcard history, the Russo-Japanese war, artist cards, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, the world of humor, advertising, and New Year's greetings. A note on printing techniques, a list of illustrations, and artist biographies are included. Invaluable for any student, scholar, or connoisseur of Japanese art and culture, this beautifully designed book brings to light a rarely studied art. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals. S. C. Scott McDaniel College

Japan was a prominent center for postcard art from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Drawing on a collection bequeathed by Leonard Lauder to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, this book presents a comprehensive introduction to the Japanese postcard. There is naturally a heavy emphasis on the postcards themselves, extraordinarily reproduced in 350 color and 20 black-and-white illustrations. Each postcard is reproduced to scale so that we can easily see how it looked originally. Of the four essays accompanying the illustrations, Lauder's entertaining and informative piece stands out, showing how he began collecting these postcards and revealing a great deal about the history of this graphic art form. Lastly, the book describes an important time in Japanese art, as the influence of movements such as Art Nouveau were just beginning to shape the Eastern art aesthetic. Highly recommended for large public and academic libraries with strong art collections. Sheila Devaney, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.