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VisArt_02


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Shaping a new approach: Jack Hillier and the graphic arts of early modern Japan 
Convenor:
Mary Redfern (Victoria and Albert Museum)
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Discussant:
Rosina Buckland (British Museum)
Format:
Panel
Section:
Visual Arts
:
Auditorium 1 Jan Broeckx
Sessions:
Sunday 20 August, -
Time zone: Europe/Brussels

Short Abstract:

As author, advisor and collector, Jack Hillier (1912-95) made a major contribution to the study of the graphic arts of early modern Japan. This panel examines Hillier's role in shaping and unsettling canon in his writings and his work as advisor to noted collectors of the mid- to late 20th century.

Long Abstract:

Museum collections have a lasting impact on the understanding of the arts they encompass. As such, the motivations that direct collectors are often a focus of intense study. Less frequently studied, however, are the advisors who guide those collectors, often while writing the reference texts that take disciplines forward. In his numerous publications, Jack Hillier (1912-95) pushed to secure the place of Japan's artists within narratives of world art, while also furthering scholarly consideration of shunga (erotic pictures), the Maruyama-Shijō school and illustrated books. While serving as expert cataloguer for Japanese prints consigned to Sotheby's, Hillier worked as advisor and consultant to several private collectors, playing a critical role in the formation of significant collections since brought into the public sphere, including the Pulverer collection (now held by the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington) and the Japanese print and book collection of the Chester Beatty, Dublin. Hillier's personal collections were acquired by the Ashmolean, Oxford, and the British Museum, an institution with which he maintained a close association. In untangling Hillier's connections, this panel will draw out some of the wider currents in the appreciation Japanese visual art in the second half of the 20th century, while casting new light on the aims, impact and legacy of one of its most passionate adherents.

Accepted papers:

Session 1 Sunday 20 August, 2023, -
Panel Video visible to paid-up delegates