Japan on Paper in Dresden

As part of the partnership with the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD), which began 2006, A. Lange & Söhne is supporting the exhibition “Japan on Paper in Dresden. Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Graphic Arts of Modernism” at the Kupferstich-Kabinett (Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs). Held under the patronage of the Embassy of Japan, the exhibition introduces visitors to the world of Japanese woodblock prints and illustrates how they have had a lasting influence on the international art world of the modern era.

Japanese art has been part of the Kupferstich-Kabinett in Dresden since the time of Elector Augustus the Strong of Saxony. The exhibition “Japan on Paper in Dresden. Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Graphic Arts of Modernism”, running from 26 June to 20 September 2026, presents selected works from a collection comprising over 10,000 items, some of which have never been exhibited before. Iconic works by the most famous 18th- and 19th-century woodblock print artists, including Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, are on display.

Around 1900, Dresden became one of the first German centres of 'Japonism'. Expanding the museum’s collection of international modern art, particularly Japanese works, was a key priority at the time. The approximately 300 Japanese woodblock prints and books acquired during this period constitute its most notable collection.

The origins of the former 'collection of models' at the Royal Saxon School of Applied Arts also date back to this period, when it provided study materials for the training programme. Following the Second World War, the Kupferstich-Kabinett acquired most of this extensive collection. Japanese prints now constitute the largest part of the Japanese art collection held there.

Visitors to the exhibition are invited to explore the works alongside around 40 pieces by artists including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edvard Munch, James McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt and Emil Orlik.

“The exhibition brings together outstanding Japanese woodblock prints with works of modern art. It highlights just how closely art is connected across national and cultural boundaries. At the sametime, it becomes clear just how strongly Japanese influences have shaped international modernism. We owe our ability to convey this perspective to a wide audience in part to the support of our partner, A. Lange & Söhne. I am extremely grateful for their long-standing loyalty and their commitment to the SKD, which now spans more than 20 years,” said SKD Director General Dr Bernd Ebert.

“Admiration for Japanese art has endured since the time of Augustus the Strong,” says Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne. “Its distinctive aesthetic, colour palette, attention to detail and high artistic standards are recognised worldwide and have influenced artistic movements across national borders. The craftsmanship of our manufacture has also been highly valued in Japan for many years. We are therefore delighted to be able to further promote an understanding of Japanese art and cultural exchange between the two countries by supporting this exhibition.”