6.Williams, L Marjorie. "Western Influences in 'Pictures of the Floating World.'" Japanese Prints: Realities of the "Floating World". Cleveland OH: Indiana University Press and the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1983

6. In the last chapter of Marjorie Williams's book Japanese Prints: Realities of the "Floating World" she considers how the west influenced Japanese prints. Having been in a time of isolation from 1639 to 1854 foreign goods were of great interest to many Japanese people. Aside from commercial item foreigners brought western artwork. The introduction to western art brought new knowledge of western techniques such as the idea of vanishing point perspective. This method of drawing is very mathematical and therefore it makes sense that it was discovered at a time when Japan was being bombarded by more scientific processes. Williams's backs up most of her statements quite thoroughly. Williams's chapter is part of a book that seems like it would be read by people that have basic knowledge of Japanese prints and want to know a little bit more. Addressing the topic as she if she must convince the reader rather then assuming they will except what she says was refreshing and unexpected considering the context of her writing.

I found Marjorie Williams's chapter knowledgeable, however I feel that given the potential of the subject matter her writing could have been more interesting. I think that her argument had good examples of artwork effected by new perspective, however it lacked examples of what prints looked like before. Although Williams gives little visual evidence for artwork prior to western influence her evidence of the final result is strong. Williams's inclusion of Yoshitoshi's "Gojo Bridge" was very effective in showing vanishing point perspective, as were all the prints with architectural themes.

Kelly Brant