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EIGHTY STUNNING JAPANESE woodblock prints have gone on display in Dublin.
The Japanese Surimono prints will be on display from 3 March to 27 August at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, near Dublin Castle. The images, which date back to the early 1800s, are quite unusual in terms of Japanese art collections.
Mary Redfern, curator of East Asian Collections at the Chester Beatty library, told TheJournal.ie that the images are part of the permanent collection and were collected by Chester Beatty between 1954 and 1963.
“In 1954 he acquired a huge collection of Japanese woodblock prints, 600 in all, that started him off really collecting these kinds of materials,” she explained.
She said the Surimono prints are “a very special kind of Japanese woodblock print”. “They weren’t produced for the public,” she explained.
“They were made for poetry groups – they were effectively privately commissioned prints with the poetry groups, who would write their own poems and give these to an artist who would create an image to complement the poetry.”
The poets would exchange the prints between themselves and their friends.
“They really are a very special group in Japanese colour prints, because they weren’t made with profit margins in mind. The finish in them is incredible – they used the most refined techniques,” said Redfern.
New York-born Chester Beatty was a prolific collector, who on his death left his collection to a trust to benefit the public. He was made Ireland’s first honorary citizen in 1957.
Beatty decided to “go all out on these prints” and was guided by an expert when collecting them, explained Redforn. Around 80 of the prints went on display at the library on Friday, which is just a quarter of the collection.
“Most of the time these collections stay in storage – we can only display a tiny proportion of what we have in the library collection in the permanent galleries,” said Redfern.
The collections at the library from around the world – such as art, books, icons and manuscripts – are of such a high standard, people come from around the globe to study them, said Redfern.
“It is something we can all be proud of. It was wonderful for Chester Beatty to bring his collection to Ireland,” she added. “It gives us a wonderful chance to get to engage with cultures of the world.”
A number of events will take place to mark the opening of the exhibition. For more details, visit the Chester Beatty Library website. Entry to the exhibition is free.
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The Chester Beatty is Dublin’s genuine hidden gem. An incredible collection.
@sean o’dhubhghaill. Totally agree. It’s a fabulous place and even if you don’t have much interest in the collection, it’s still worth a visit. The Zen roof garden is a complete oasis
Sounds cool, must pay a visit some time.
Definitely cool. No entry charge, and easy to get to by bus.
Well, you just showed them all so I don’t have to go see them :)
Didn’t show any mucky ones though…
@stephen mc galey: you could seriously save on your energy costs if you just bricked up your windows and hung flat LCD screens showing cctv video of your garden outside views. Suppose the screens would burn less energy than the boiler so swings and roundabouts maybe not but feel there may be something lost in the process.
Fantastic stuff to be seen there and it’s free. The Moghul art was wonderful few years back.
They have a vast collection that has not been seen by the public for years. I remember seeing the Abyssinian collection when it was in Ballsbridge, they should change their collection around more often. Let’s hope this is the start. Great museum & coffee shop
The exhibition objects are regularly changed see https://chesterbeattyconservation.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/in-with-the-new-gallery-rotations/
Amazing experience & recommend seeing the Hong Ling paintings upstairs.
Ah shite…. I came here expecting to see some vintage anime soft porn. Not a tit in sight
@Maurice Quille: suspect your definition of vintage differs from the Chester Betty’s in chronological terms at least.
More free “art” yawn yawn.
Wear is it?
To wear or not to wear, that is the question.
In Dublin Castle. Via Ship Street (beyond Christchurch Place) is the quickest way in, but you can go in the Dame Street gate and walk around to the right. They’re closed on Mondays only.
They’re open on Mondays from now (the beginning of March) on, till October.
@John O’Driscoll
I done that already a long time ago
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