Literary Prints (98)
Prints inspired by literary works, poetry, and written narratives. Japanese printmakers have drawn on classical texts, haiku, and modern literature as source material for visual compositions.
Artists Known for Literary
Poem 69-8, Shôwa period, 1969
Woodblock print
Poem 70-11, Shôwa period, 1970
Woodblock print
Poem 70-26, Shôwa period, 1970
Chiryu, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)," also known as the Tokaido with Poem (Kyoka iri Tokaido)
c. 1837/42
Color woodblock print; chuban
Arai, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)," also known as the Tokaido with Poem (Kyoka iri Tokaido)
c. 1837/42
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dante - Star
2024
Linocut
Dante - Amor / Or-Am / More
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - Shield
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - Touch In / In Touch
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - Gaza
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - Bodlib Press
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - Seeking Immortality
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - It Spills From the Screen
2023-2024
Linocut
Dante - Camera
2023-2024
Linocut
Old Sea (from the Illustrated Poetry Book 'The Song of Maldoror')
1951
Aquatint and etching
I hear his poem...from this wash
2006
Woodblock Print
The Heroine Matsukaze, from the series Complete Works of Chikamatsu Manzaemon
Color woodblock print
A Classical Poem
1886
Woodblock Print
Author Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall/ Cromwell Trilogy. photographed at her home and on the beach in Buckleigh Salterton, Devon, United Kingdom
Sing with a Lovely Voice (Artist Book)
2007
Mokuhanga, digital print, handmade artist book
Illusion from Lady Murasaki's "The Tale of Genji"
Woodblock print
Tamakatsura from Lady Murasaki's "The Tale of Genji"
Woodblock print
The Tale of Genji
Woodblock print
Ephemera
2009
Artist book - 11 pages, accordion structure with gatefold center spread; bound into covered boards with decorative woodcut printed paper and end sheets, goatskin spine Japanese Nishinouchi handmade kozo paper
The Book of Tactics of General Oven (Kamado shogun kanryaku no maki)
Woodblock print
Book
Woodblock print
Verse Mori
2000
Oil on linen canvas
Maruyama Park- woodblock printing demo book
Woodblock print
Poem 68-55, Shôwa period, 1968
Woodblock print
Poem 69-43
Woodblock print
Poem 69-53
Woodblock print
Poem - 7, Shôwa period,
Woodblock print
Poem 71-11 - ？水？月手
Woodblock print
Poem 71-39
Woodblock print
Jumping Book
Etching with chine collé and hand coloring
Akashi (from In the Garden of Genji)
明石
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Asagao (from In the Garden of Genji)
朝顔
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Eawase (from In the Garden of Genji)
絵合
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Fujitsubo (from In the Garden of Genji)
藤壺
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Hahakigi (from In the Garden of Genji)
帚木
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Hana-chiru-sato (from In the Garden of Genji)
花散里
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Hana-no-utage (from In the Garden of Genji)
花宴
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Hotaru (from In the Garden of Genji)
蛍
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Kiritsubo (from In the Garden of Genji)
桐壺
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Momiji-no-ga (from In the Garden of Genji)
紅葉賀
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Sakaki (from In the Garden of Genji)
賢木
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Sekiya (from In the Garden of Genji)
関屋
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Suetsumuhana (from In the Garden of Genji)
末摘花
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Utsusemi (from In the Garden of Genji)
空蝉
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Yomogiu (from In the Garden of Genji)
蓬生
Aquatint, deep etching, gold leaf
Apocalypse Now or For Ever — Chapter 16: The Curse (after the Apocalypse of St. John)
2000
Lithograph
Apocalypse Now or For Ever — Chapter 4: The Lord (after the Apocalypse of St. John)
2000
Lithograph
Chapter 26 - Tokonatsu- Women playing sugoroku
Woodblock print
Chapter 4 - Yugao
Woodblock print
Chapter 44 - Takegawa- Courtiers under a wisteria draped pine tree
Woodblock print
Chapter 6 - Suetsumuhana- Saffron Flower
Woodblock print
A Forgotten Book
忘れられた書物
ca. 2014
Etching and aquatint, chine-collé
Daughter
Nihonga (natural mineral pigments) on silk / Hanging Scroll
Love Game
1850
Woodcut Print (Double Book Page).
Horror Scroll
2020
Linocut
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Prints inspired by literary works, poetry, and written narratives. Japanese printmakers have drawn on classical texts, haiku, and modern literature as source material for visual compositions.
Hiroaki Miyayama, Saito Kaoru, and Wuon-Gean Ho are among the artists most associated with literary in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 98 prints tagged with literary, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.