60 - Kiyonaga: Actor Onoe Matsusuke Playing the Shamisen, with a Courtesan and a Kamuro

Kiyonaga: Actor Onoe Matsusuke Playing the Shamisen, with a Courtesan and a Kamuro
1782

When Torii Kiyonaga (1782-1815) became the head of the Torii School, he changed ukiyo-e by fusing different traditions. Mainly the Katsukawa School, Harunobu's style, and, of course, his own Torii School. He summed up ukiyo-e so far and set the direction for its development in the following years.

His style appears naturalistic, but in a graceful manner. Kiyonaga is one of the really great woodblock masters, especially when it comes to bijinga. But of course he also made kabuki prints, yakusha-e. The Torii school nearly had monopoly on printed matter for the kabuki theatres.

This print from 1782 is Actor Onoe Matsusuke Playing the Shamisen, with a Courtesan and a Kamuro.

59 - Yoshitoshi: Uesugi Kenshin Nyudo Terutora Riding into Battle

Yoshitoshi: Uesugi Kenshin Nyudo Terutora Riding into Battle

This week we will look at another print by Yoshitoshi: Uesugi Kenshin Nyudo Terutora Riding into Battle. This print feels very modern, just look at the frontal perspective. However, it is from 1883.

Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578) was a powerful daimyō and warrior of his time.

A daimyō was a feudal lord of old Japan, who, in practice, ruled his own land, and were subordinate only to the Shōgun.

58 - Nobukazu: Beauties Viewing Moon

Nobukazu: Beauties Viewing Moon, about 1890

A bijinga in the form of a triptych by Watanabe Nobukazu: Beauties Viewing the Moon, from about 1890.

57 - The Kanbun Master: Shunga from Yoshiwara Pillow Pictures

The Kanbun Master: Shunga from Yoshiwara Pillow Pictures

This print is an example of Shunga, erotic motives, although it is quite innocent and not as explicit as many later Shunga works. The artist is interesting; it is the Kanbun Master, active about 1660-1673. His identity is unknown, but he is considered a direct precursor to ukiyo-e. He was mentor to Hiskikawa Moronobu, who is generally considered as the first ukiyo-e artist.

This shunga is from a book, Yoshiwara Pillow Pictures.

56 - Ginkô: Tennō Yūryaku overpowers a large wild boar at Mount Katuragi

Ginkô: Tennō Yūryaku overpowers a large wild boar at Mount Katuragi, 1896

Emperorr Yūryaku, [雄略天皇 - Yūryaku-tennô], who reigned about 456-469 AD, was the 21st emperor of Japan. Here Adachi Ginkô shows him as a hunter: Tennō Yūryaku overpowers a large wild boar at Mount Katuragi in 461 AD. The print is from 1896.

Tennô [天皇] means "heavenly sovereign" and is the official title of the Japanese ruler. "Emperor" is a Western attempt of a translation. But "Tennô" in Japanese refers only to the Japanese ruler. Foreign emperors are called kōtei [皇帝]. However, the title tennô is not known to have been used before the 40th emperor, Tenmu, who reigned 631-686 AD. Thus Yūryaku was never called tennô in his lifetime.

55 - Eizan: Hanaôgi of the Ôgiya

Eizan: Hanaôgi of the Ôgiya, 1806-1808

The widely underrated Kikugawa Eizan (1787-1867), completed and ended the development of classical bijinga, which leads in a straight line from Haronubu, via Koryusai, Kiyonaga and Utamaro, finally to peak with Eizan. Both Koryusai and Eizan are often overlooked, but they certainly deserve attention as the masters they were.

This is Hanaôgi of the Ôgiya, from the series Women of Seven Houses (Shichikenjin), a pun on Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. Eizan created this print sometime between 1806 and 1808.

54 - Shinsai: Carp among pond plants

Shinsai: Carp among pond plants

This surimono shows a carp and water-weeds. Carps occur frequently in Japanese art, where they symbolise "achievement against adversity".

The artist is Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (1764?-1823, active 1799-1823), who was one of Hokusai's students.