DUBLIN.- Edo in Colour explores how woodblock prints shaped fashion, fame and identity in the city now known as Tokyo. From pictures of actors and beauties to masterpieces by Hokusai and Hiroshige, these prints were once as affordable as they are aesthetically refined—a driving force within the popular culture of this vibrant metropolis. Featuring more than one hundred prints and printed books from Japan’s Edo period (c. 1603–1868), the exhibition is being shown in two parts with more to explore online and in the accompanying catalogue.




By the mid-18th century, the population of Edo (modern Tokyo) had grown to over one million. It was, it is thought, the most populous city in the world. Compared to its peers domestically and internationally, it was also a very young city, having been created as powerbase of the Tokugawa shōguns, Japan’s de facto rulers, just 150 years before.

As the city thrived, so did its floating world – a realm of leisure, pleasure, art and witty literature that offered escape from the strict order imposed by the shogunate. Within this space, the medium of print helped create the city’s sights and its celebrities, from buskers and teahouse beauties to actors, entertainers and star-crossed lovers. With Edo standing as muse, maker and market, print powered the metropolis and shaped its legacy.

The five themes explored in the exhibition capture Edo from different angles. Selling Edo sets the scene introducing the publishers, artists, block-cutters and printers who created these exquisite artworks and the market they served. Bravura takes to the stage to showcase the stars of Edo’s kabuki theatre. Chic explores the fast fashions of the floating world as seen through the lens of the Yoshiwara, Edo’s licensed prostitution district. Prosperity takes in the richness of the city and its seasonal expression, but also issues of censorship and control. Place considers how print worked to position Edo and its famous places even before artists Hokusai and Hiroshige created the most enduring images of Edo and Japan. While the themes remain constant, the works themselves will be changed halfway through the exhibition, echoing the seasonality that is so important in Japanese art and offering visitors the chance to see more of this remarkable collection.

The exhibition is curated by Dr Mary Redfern, Curator of East Asian Collections at the Chester Beatty, and opens to the public on 28 May; admission is free with no advance booking required. It will close briefly for a changeover of works between 30 August and 3 September. Throughout, highlights of the exhibition will be viewable online alongside a virtual exhibition. A full programme of lectures, talks and artist-led activities is planned. The exhibition catalogue and a selection of Edo-themed prints, stationery and facemasks can be purchased online or in person at the giftshop.

The Chester Beatty’s collections of Japanese art are internationally renowned. Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968) had a long interest in the arts of Japan, but only began collecting Japanese prints in earnest after his move to Dublin. Guided by print specialist Jack Hillier (1912–1995), this exceptional collection which today encompasses more than 850 single sheet prints and 100 printed books was brought together between 1954 and 1963. As part of the project, the commercially-published Japanese prints within the collection (some 450 works) have been fully digitised and made available online. The exhibition itself will be the first since the museum moved to Dublin Castle to showcase the chronological and thematic breadth of these works.