Historical subjects represented in the Feliks Jasieński collection of Japanese woodblock-prints

prints from the Edo period. The Great Wave of Kanagawa inspired Andrzej Wajda and Arata Isozaki to create a wave-shaped roof for the building which houses the collection (and, currently, all of us!)15. The numerous series of famous views by Edo or other prints by Hiroshige, Hokusai and many other masters are well-known to those who visit Manggha Museum. Therefore, today I would like to talk about another part of Jasienski’s col­ lection, one which concerns historical subjects. According to the vernacular of Western art history, I should use the term “historical subject” when I think about any narrated story such as the illustration of the life of Minamoto-no Sugiwara as well as those of the Genji monogatari or of the forty-seven loyal retainers* 25. Thus, included among “historical subject” prints there should be mentioned all prints which are not landscapes or portraits. However, this time I would like to use the term only as a key-word for stories widely known in Japan, either based on facts or not, i.e. Heike monogatari, Soga monogatari, Chushingura, Suikoden and similar narratives. These are different stories but