The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-12
HIROSHIGE PRINTS
TO Be SOLD HERE
Many Examples by Japanese
Master Will Be Auctioned
May Is and 18.
IN METZGAR COLLECTION
It Also Contains Works Of
CtamarO and Other
Celebrities.

Tie closing event OF the season at the
American Art Association Is an exceed
ingly important sale of japanese color
prints belonging to Judson d. Metrgar
OF Moline. H. There are more than 1900
, Items in the collection. which fills many
galleries, and as tho prints carry with
them Mr. Metsgar's guarantee of sen-
uIneness the opportunity for students,
Nho are sometimes confused In mind by
the weak reprints OF these master works
that food the modern markets, Is excep.
tional
The bulk Of the collection II the ouput
Of one artist-Hlroshige and although
Hiroshige is well known to our con-
noisseurs II Is probable that most of
them will here find many surprising
varieties, as 1t is difiioult to recall a
more complete showing of the prints Of
this master. Hiroshige was one OF the
last OF the Ukioye masters. and hence
lived in period when the cult for prsnts
had already begun. Most OF his prints
we're in a book form that tended . pre-
serve them, and more OF his prints have
found their way TO America than those
OF any other Ukioye artist.
They were so plentiful at first in
America that money value was not put
upon them. and Mr. Metxgar boasts that
he acquired his before the rise in prices
began to tempt the forger. They were
so'plentiful also that even the artistic
quality was not rated as highly as II
should have been. Collectors who had
begun with an admiration Of Hokusai
and had progressed into collecting .Uta-
maros and Toyokunis disdained the work
OF Hiroshige. All that, however. has long
since been corrected, and Hiroshige has
been firmly established as q master along
with the best Of them. Mr.. MetzEars
exhibition proves this rating over again.
i would seem indeed that foreigner
might gain a fairly compete impression
Of Japan from Hiroshiges prints alone.
He did not peer into the soul as deeply
AS did Hokusai. but he Certainly kept
a firm glance upon the spectacle OF life.
All the occupations. ali the PROFESSIONS,
festivities and tragedies OF Japan are
deftly touched into his plateF. albeit the
chief pretension OF them is ths land
scape. He had the clearest, most Incl
sve style OF all. and shared in the COM
mand over design and color. for which
his companion artists are famous.
Students OF Hiroshige will view with
special interest a memorial portrait of
the artist by Toyokuni. issued in the
month Hiroshige died. The legend upon
it reads: AT the present time. Hiro-
shlge, Toyokuni and Kuniyoshi are con-
s!dered the three great masters of Ukioye
no others equal them" Toyokuni
wrote on the portrait the words XXI En-
fkku." Buddhist phrase. meaning
Life is a pun of smoke"
The collection also contains many
examples by the early men. There are
pillar prints and designs In hosoe. square
and other forms. Especially interest
ing are those by Shunyei. the large
actor portrait by Shunsho. and the COM
plete double page illustrations by Shun-
sho and Shigemasa. There il also the
complete set of forty-eight prints of
Shunsho's Use Monogotari" Among
the Hokusais should be seen his great
wave picture. possibly his most famous
print: and there are charming works
by Utamaro. Yeiser. Kuniyoslh. Shunsen.
Harunobu. Buncho. Masanobu, Moronobu
and other great men.
The auction will take place May is
and l6