Scholars have called the late-18th century through the mid-19th century a kind of “golden age” of woodblock print-making in terms of design and technical achievement. Just a decade after the development of the full-color printing process, newly-established publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō began publishing the volumes in this exhibit that are considered to be some of the finest examples of the woodblock-printed book. He and other publishers also began promoting woodblock-print artists for the first time, elevating their reputations and creating a market for the books they illustrated.

During this period, new themes like landscape or “famous places” (meisho 名所) emerged and took illustration beyond its focus on the figure and the urban environment. Color was fully exploited in books featuring the classic “bird and flower” painting theme. Illustrated stories with parodic allusions to classical literature continued to be popular, as were subjects related to kabuki and the pleasure quarters. Censorship of book publishing, though not new, became more acute and many artists and publishers were punished for their books and prints.

It was also during this time that Japanese woodblock-printed books were becoming widely known in Europe, where they were both appreciated by new audiences and influential on the Western art tradition.