Japanese graphic art has become world famous, thanks to the exquisite prints produced by a succession of great 18th and 19th century artists. The bold outlines and strong hues of these works have given them a universal appeal, while their subjects offer fascinating glimpses of a sophisticated way of life that is no more. Designed mainly for a popular audience in flourishing Edo (present-day Tokyo), print artists such as Harunobu and Utamaro pictured the city's reigning beauties, the stars of the theatre, dn leisure pursuits such as river trips and cherry-blossom viewing. A little later, Hokusai and Hiroshige introduced landscape and rural scenes, while Kuniyoshi portrayed the stirring legends and martial deeds of an older Japan.
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