The Regelski Collection has several different groups of paintings. First are sumi-e and ink drawings. Followed by woodblock prints, and oil paintings.
Sumi-e and ink drawings
The crane in flight is a Sumi-e painting. Sumi-e works are done on rice paper with a brush and are very spontaneous, as the ink is immediately absorbed and there is thus no chance for correction. The remaining ink drawings are also spontaneous but can receive minor additions for the intended effect. Notice the emphasis on nature and the expression of the famous monk-figure Hotei resting on his collected bag of treasures. He is usually shown happily carrying that bag over his shoulder.
Woodblock Prints. Each page or picture of a woodblock print is created by carving away a wood block to create a that leaves the desired lines and area of the image at the original level. In the simplest black and white works, these are inked, and paper (often specially made—another Japanese craft) is put on top and a press used to force the paper tight so even the smallest details print well. More complex prints requires “pulling” more printings with inking of other areas, often colors, and the original print is registered precisely in the same place again in the printing press for each printing. It is widely assumed that major print artists such as Katsushika Hokusai did the wood carving and printing, but in reality, it is a multi-expert process. “A designer of prints only provided the design, after which a professional copyist prepared a detailed worked-out version, from which specialized block-cutters made the various blocks needed to create each print, including the colour blocks and the blocks in the outlines of figures, the scenery and the inscriptions that were to appear on the print. The actual printing was done by another group of specialized craftsmen. This division of labour was to continue until 1905,” when, under the influence of western practice Yamamoto Kanai undertook all the stages himself. (Matthi Forrer, Hokusai Prints and Drawings, Prestel Press, 1991, p.10). The first movable type printing press arrived in Nagasaki in 1590 but was banned as a tool of Christianity, which was also banned. But in 1591 another press was acquired in the war with Korea and was operative at the same time (Edo-Meiji 1603-1912) as similar presses in the West.
The Regelski Collection features over 50 prints, mainly antique Edo-Taisho; 1603-1924) a few modern ones to demonstrate the full refinement of the medium, still used by artists today. It includes a few minor Hokusai, but specializes in originals of his colleague Utagawa Hiroshige I, the last great (18-19th c.) ukiyo-e artist. The collection has few prints of the typical “floating world” (ukiyo-e) nightlife of Tokyo focusing instead on scenery, snow, and water—both conveyed especially well for the medium.
