Toad by Matsumoto Hoji, Remastered | Premium Art Print

Details

• Printed using archival inks on premium quality, heavyweight matte Fine Art paper for rich colour and crisp detail
• Available in multiple sizes (see dropdown)
• Ideal for framing
• Ships safely in sturdy, eco-friendly packaging

Perfect for

• Art enthusiasts and collectors
  
• Home decorators seeking statement pieces
  
• Students and educators
• Thoughtful gift givers

A new version of Toad by Matsumoto Hoji — carefully upscaled and remastered by House of Printed Matter. Lots of versions of this artwork exist, but many are low-resolution, poor quality images. This version sharpens the details of the image and uses a darker shade of black for the toad, a more impactful shade of red for the artist's mark, and a clean bright white background to make the artwork pop anew. 

Japanese woodblock prints, known as ukiyo-e or "pictures of the floating world," emerged during the Edo period as one of history's most influential art movements. These vibrant prints captured the ephemeral pleasures of urban life - from theatrical performances and beautiful courtesans to sweeping landscapes and everyday scenes. What began as affordable art for the common people became a sophisticated collaboration between artists, carvers, and printers, each bringing their mastery to create works of remarkable detail and colour. The techniques pioneered during this era - bold outlines, flat planes of colour, and dramatic perspectives - would later captivate European artists and spark the Japonisme movement that influenced Impressionism and Art Nouveau.

This collection brings together masters who defined different facets of ukiyo-e. Hokusai and Hiroshige transformed landscape printing into high art with their iconic views of Mount Fuji and the Tokaido road. Utamaro elevated the bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) genre with his psychologically nuanced portraits, while the enigmatic Sharaku created unforgettable actor portraits during his brief ten-month career. Taito II carried forward Hokusai's legacy after studying under the master himself. Matsumoto Hoji remains a mysterious figure in ukiyo-e history, known primarily for his charming frog prints that appeared in the mass-produced Meika Gafu publication of 1814 - works that embodied the wabi-sabi aesthetic and brought affordable art into countless Japanese homes. Together, these artists represent the golden age of Japanese printmaking - an art form that democratised beauty while achieving extraordinary artistic sophistication.

I've gathered here a selection of what I consider their finest works, reproduced in a manner that does justice to the artists themselves.

_______

Many of our prints include a very thin white border as a presentation choice. This helps preserve as much of the original image as possible and ensures easy framing — most frames will cover the border entirely. Non-standard image sizes will have larger borders, clearly visible in each product image.

Each print is individually produced with care, making it ideal for your home, studio, or as a unique gift.

This is a museum-quality giclée art print produced on heavyweight textured Fine Art paper. This process enhances colour depth and detail, giving the artwork a rich, gallery-worthy finish. Printed with premium archival inks, the result offers fade resistance of up to 100 years in albums and several decades on display, so your print can be enjoyed for many years to come.