CHECK OUT THE ACCOMPANYING ONLINE EXHIBIT TO THIS COLLECTION
What's online?
The Barry Rosensteel Japanese Print Collection contains 430 wood block prints. While the earliest print dates to 1730, most of the prints were produced in the 1800s, while others were created in the 1900s. The work of over forty artists is represented in the collection. Currently, 300 prints have been digitized and made available online. One hundred and thirty prints, donated in November 2023, are currently being digitized and prepared for online viewing.
The descriptive information for the online collection includes notes on artists, series, dates, and sizes. Where this information is known it is displayed. When an item is comprised of two or more plates, each plate was scanned separately and the location of each plate is indicated in the description.
What's in the entire collection?
This splendid collection of woodblock prints presents a glimpse of the Edo Japanese culture through meticulously reconstructed landscapes (meishoe 名所絵), portraits of various sorts—women (bijinga 美人画), actors (yakushae 役者絵), warriors (mushae 武者絵)—wildlife paintings (kachōga 花鳥画), and erotic paintings (shunga 春画), showcasing some of Japan’s rich art history. A set of prints depicting Chinese scenes, relatively small in quantity, also add another interesting dimension to the collection.
Notable prints from the collection are three prints from the series of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景) by Katsushika, Hokusai (1760–1849), seven prints from a series of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai (誠忠義士傳) by Utagawa, Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) and Taiso, Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), several prints from a variety of series of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road by Utagawa, Hiroshige (1786-1864) and Utagawa, Kunisada I (1797-1858), etc. The Utagawa school was one of the most influential ukiyo-e painter schools for a variety of categories. The works of several artists of the Utagawa school are found in the collection. While there is a broad representation of artists, it is interesting to note the significant number of pieces by a select few.
The Rosensteel Collection is located in the Special Collections Department of the University Library System, where all of the original prints are available for research and scholarly study. It complements the holdings of the East Asian Library, which contains substantial collection of Japanese art history and theatre history.It also complements the Walter and Martha Leuba Collection , which contains several twentieth century Japanese woodblock prints.
About Barry and Elizabeth Rosensteel
Barry Rosensteel is a native of Connellsville, Pennsylvania. His family has a long association with that region, dating back over two hundred years to some of the early settlers. For example, through his mother’s side of the family, he is a descendent of Henry Beeson, an English settler, who founded nearby Uniontown in 1796. His father’s family immigrated from Germany around the same time. Mr. Rosensteel’s wife Elizabeth was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and later lived in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, with her family. Barry and Elizabeth met on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh when Barry was a Sophomore at Pitt.
After having planned and overseen the development of real estate ventures for Fortune 100 corporations throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Mr. Rosensteel formed his own real estate development and consulting group. He is presently Managing Director of PRIN Investments Real Estate Group located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Mr. Rosensteel has diverse interests with a love for professional football, basketball, boxing, and Formula 1 racing. He also has a passion for collecting art from around the world with specific interests in Latin American art, Asian art, contemporary sculpture and figurative art as well as a love for European sports cars, and motorcycles.
Mrs. Rosensteel attended Boston University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. With the exception of a brief five years as the first elected Principal of Taliesin Architects, Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio and school, Mrs. Rosensteel has owned her own interior/architectural design firm, Elizabeth A. Rosensteel Design Studio, specializing in 12,000–30,000 sq. ft. custom designed homes and commercial/hospitality projects. She has a long record of vocal performance and sang with the Phoenix Symphony for about 14 years.
Together they enjoy exploring, hiking, traveling, and their K9 friend Chester, a rescue Great Pyrenees.