1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Very useful for the class and the basis of a good library on the subject. 2: Very useful. Wonderful background. A joy to read. 3: Good. 4: Nothing you read ahead could get you ready for the whirlwind pace. 5: Good. 6: These were the best sources on the subject I had seen. 7: Mandatory and needed more time than I, unfortunately, could give. 8: Were quite useful, especially our teacher's own works, which he modestly did not push at us. 9: Very -- to get used to the names and outline of the history. 10: Very useful. All readings were applicable to the course content. The Japanese Print: Its Evolution and Essence (Narazaki) was particularly useful in understanding the development of printmaking. 11: Precourse materials helped a lot. I would recommend prioritizing to help with the pursuit and to know importance. I would recommend providing net addresses for o.p. books -- Bookfinder, Addall. 12: They were very useful.

2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?

1: Very useful. 2: Yes. I look forward to reading the syllabus when I get home. I read the first few pages and think it is excellent. 3-4: Yes. 5: Very good. 6: Yes, very useful. 7: Yes, and we discussed need for time line (and perhaps glossary) to be available on poster, which was done. 8: Seem to be, the workbook, but not a major factor in the teaching of the class. Good for review. 9: Yes. 10: Absolutely. SK provided a written synopsis of his lectures which were useful to review after class. 11: Excellent syllabus. The thought crossed my mind that the technology of digital photography and color printing may help the viewing of examples and replace slides for future students. 12: Yes -- they were helpful for synopses of the lectures which they provided, and will serve as a permanent reference source.

3) Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate?

1-2: Yes. 3: Great. 4: More than I could have hoped for. 5: Quite. 6-7: Yes. 8: There was a tremendous amount of material to cover. It seemed to me instruction was at a pretty sophisticated and fast paced level -- and that was good. As an adult learner, I will register that a few of the conceptual/critical schemata are more problematic than presented but hey, that's OK! 9: A constant stretch. 10: Yes. 11: This course was conducted from the highest intellectual level that I could hope for. I was impressed with the 25 years of experience the instructor brought to us. The insight of theory was a gift to us. This was a rare occasion. 12: Entirely.

4) If your course had field trips, were they effective?

1: Excellent use of the Bayly's collection of prints. An experience unavailable elsewhere. 2: We spent 1 and a half hours at the Bayly Museum every afternoon. It was important to be able to look at prints closely to see what made some prints work and to see problems with the others. 3: Absolutely! 4: Very well! 5: Most useful. 6: Visiting Bayly Art Museum was a wonderful aspect of this course and the time spent there made a contribution that slides alone could not. 7: Oh yes! 8: The museum sessions in the Bayly were superb, for the materials and for the commentary provided by the print curator (Stephen Margulies) and by our teacher, who also set fascinating problem sessions for us. 9: Yes. 10: Looking at the prints certainly helped to understand the subtleties in the printing techniques -- good complement to the lectures. 11: The range of excellent to fair and fake examples selected from the Bayly collection was perfect for our (near) hands-on lab experience. 12: Yes.

5) Did the actual course content correspond to its RBS brochure description and Expanded Course Description (ECD)? Did the course in general meet your expectations?

1-4: Yes. 5: Equipped me for further self-study. 6: Yes. 7: I think so, but will read the brochure again. 8: Overall yes, and entirely satisfactorily. It should be kept in mind that at least this year, the midpoint of the course falls to the early side of the prints' fullest golden-age and so treatment of the later period is more schematic. 9-10: Yes. 11: I am going to go back and reread the description. I know that I erroneously expected something in the identification area that I didn't get (signatures-seals), but I now know why it wasn't possible (isn't possible) and what I need to do to correct an assumption. 12: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: Time with actual prints. 2: SK lectured on history, theory and connoisseurship in class and then we were able to look at actual prints, so that the issues he had discussed took on new dimensions. A wonderful experience! 3: Museum connoisseurship sessions. Understanding of background (history), theory &c. that went with looking at the actual objects (prints). 4: SK's ability to teach the subject, and his overall knowledge. 5: Equipped me for further self-study. 6: The instructor and having the opportunity to benefit from his perspectives on the subject. 7: The cooperation of the lecturer with us and the curator. They work well together and made us all feel the specialness of the program and therefore of us individually. 8: SK's energy, intelligence (knowledge) and humanity made the course of great value. Seldom have I observed a teacher give so much of himself, day in and day out. The beauty of the objects we were working with must rank second. (SK will consider this too "Sunoa.") 9: The sociological, psychological, and historical aspect of the culture as applied to the art. 10: I particularly enjoyed the balance of lecture and print study. 11: Visually, I now see the course as a group of Westerners who stand behind a nearly opaque Japanese curtain with glints of prints on the other side. Our professor-leader-guide-expert helped us to learn the culture and history so that we could pull the curtain back to view the prints in full without the opaqueness and ignorance limitation. I learned that I didn't know anything about Japanese prints in spite of having more than a passing interest for many years. I was very aware of my good fortune in having SK as my instructor for this breakthrough. 12: The instructor's ability to draw together a very broad range of ideas, facts and visual materials and present them in a manner that was persuasive, coherent and (at the same time) edifying.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: This course is excellent. I think a second course should be added -- to include more on technical aspects of printmaking, coverage of later artists, and perhaps a 1-2 hour lecture by a dealer. 2: I liked everything in the course. 3: Keep it the same! Glossary of terms/names (Japanese) would be useful. 4: Four weeks long. 5: Excellent material management. 6: Even more prints to view in person. 7: Add the time line to the syllabus with the important colophons. 8: Per usual in any art history, a better room and better slides. Some will say, I know, more museum time, but the classroom sessions are crucial also. 9: The room was good, but projection equipment was occasionally a problem. A proper screen could help. 10: It's perfect! 11: Digital photography and printing for hands-on round the table lessons. 12: I can't imagine how the course could have been improved. A sequel would be very desirable.

8) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the BAP's teaching collections and of materials owned by UVA's Special Collections. If relevant, what suggestions do you have for the improved classroom handling of such materials used in your course this week?

1: No suggestions; all handled well. 3: Classroom was a bit crowded but otherwise comfortable. 4: The Bayly's collection was a great teaching aid. 5: Excellent material management. 7: We were very well behaved. 10: None. 11: Everything fine.

9) Please comment on the quality/enjoyability of the various RBS activities in which you took part outside of class (eg Sunday afternoon tour, Sunday night dinner, evening lectures, Bookseller Night, Video Night, Study Night, tour of the Alderman digital/electronic centers, printing demonstrations, &c.).

1: Enjoyed the activities I attended -- just enough to pick and choose. 2: I enjoyed the Rotunda exhibit, Study Night, Video Night, the evening lecture and reception. 4: I enjoyed every RBS activity, but TB needs to smile. 5: Only on Rotunda -- very good. 6: This week I particularly enjoyed Bill Reese's talk on the Mellon library. I always enjoy Bookseller's Night. 7: Those I attended were good. 8: RBS staff very congenial, helpful at breaks. 9: Morning coffee a great help. 10: I appreciated the organized evening events overall -- though truly enjoyed Bookseller's Night. 11: As always, the best. Wouldn't miss the state of RBS session. I like to know what is going on. I felt fortunate to hear the Malkin lecture and be in the room with Mr Reese. 12: I enjoyed all of the extracurricular activities and thought they were well-planned and generally either entertaining or informative, often both.

10) Any final thoughts? Did you get your money's worth?

1: Absolutely got my money's worth. SK is knowledgeable, energetic and an excellent teacher. 2: Definitely received my money's worth. 3: Need a part II for continuation. 4: If you work with this subject it is the best. 5: Very useful investment. 6: I definitely got my money's worth. I would caution future students that the course had a lot more to do with art history and cultural history than woodblock printing techniques. 7: Anyone with interest in this area should apply now. 8: A wonderful course -- a deal/steal at the price; you can't buy SK's commitment to his students. Don't think you will get to the "decadents" -- if this year was representative, you may not. 9: The course was a gift of my children. They got their money's worth. 10: This course was absolutely worthwhile! SK so carefully explores the "layers" of history; tradition in understanding Ukiyo-e prints. 11: The class is phenomenal in revelation. The experience and daring thought and theory of the instructor is unbeatable. I know it's not possible to include anything more, but if there was a way to perform magic, I would include some commercial aspects of the print business. Thanks to Stephen Margulies/Bayly for his opinions and cooperation. 12: This was the most exhilarating (and exhausting educational experience I've enjoyed since freshman year in college. Not to be missed.

Number of respondents: 12

There were 2 teacher/professors (17%), 2 retirees (17%), 3 people with a personal interest in Japanese prints (26%), 1 rare book librarian, 1 general librarian with some rb duties, 1 antiquarian bookseller, 1 conservator/binder/preservation librarian and 1 museum employee (8% each).

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