Ferry Boats on the Fujikawa River, Suruga Province Series: Honcho Meisho (Famous Views of Japan)

Warner acquired these three prints from Yamanaka & Company in New York, one of the most prominent dealers of Asian art in the early 1900s. They were purchased as part of a group of 320 prints that include portraits of famous actors, scenes of everyday life, and landscapes.

Warner justified his large purchase in a letter to trustee J. C. Nichols: "...they are used from the very beginning in the study of art as a whole - to illustrate the principles of pure design - color - and composition. To have a large and varied collection of them from which changing exhibitions may be shown is my ambition for the department." In appreciation for Warner's sizable purchase, Yamanaka donated an additional for...