NEW YORK – The Japanese began printing with wooden blocks sometime in the eighth century, but only in 1765 did they come up with a process that permitted printing in full color. That innovation, credited to Suzuki Harunobu, allowed for a golden age of ukiyo-e, the Japanese term for woodblock prints. The images caused a sensation all over the world, and influenced prominent artists such as Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, and most notably, Claude Monet.
On June 30, beginning at 8 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will offer 153 lots of Japanese woodblock prints. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.