96 - Yoshiyuki: Hido Hachiro holding a head

Yoshiyuki: Hido Hachiro holding a head

This shows Hido Hachiro holding a head, a print from about 1868 by Mori Yoshiyuki (1835-1879). The scene is from Mirror of Our Country’s Military Elegance [Honchô buyû kagami, 本朝武優鏡].

95 - Unknown Artist: Uki-e

Unknown Artist: Uki-e

In this picture, perspective is used to create a sense of depth. Such a picture is called an uki-e. The first Japanese artist to apply uki-e in nishiki-e, that is, using perspective in a full colour woodblock print, was Toyoharu, the founder of the Utagawa school. This picture, however, is a painting and the artist is unknown. It is probably from the end of the 18th century.

The motive is a puppet performance.

If you look carefully to the right, you'll see that there is something wrong with the perspective. The artist has made a mistake.

94 - Hokuba: Bijinga

Hokuba: Bijinga

This is a painting on silk, a kakemono, by Teisai Hokuba (1771-1844). A beautiful bijinga from the 1830s.

Hokuba was one of Hokusai's best students.

93 - Kyōsai: Drawing of a Travelling Couple

Kyōsai: Drawing of a Traveling Couple

Here we see a fine drawing by Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831-1889), A Travelling Couple. It is from about 1880 and shows what a versatile artist Kyōsai was.

92 – Shunsen: Kingfisher on Bamboo

Shunsen: Kingfisher on Bamboo

 

Here we have a kachô-e, Kingfisher on Bamboo. It is also an aizuri-e, that is to say that the only colour is blue.

Katsukawa Shunsen (1762 - about 1830) also called himself Shunkō II when he succeeded Shunkō I as the head of the Katsukawa school.

91 - Tsukimaro: Kintarō Fighting with an Eagle

Tsukimaro: Kintarō Fighting with an Eagle

 
This is a surimono, Kintarō Fighting with an Eagle, by Kitagawa Tsukimaro.

You can read more about Kintarō here.

90 - Chikanobu: A group of bijin look out over a snow-covered garden

Chikanobu: A group of bijin look out over a snow-covered garden

A beautiful triptych by Toyohara Chikanobu, A group of bijin look out over a snow-covered garden, from 1893. It is a combination of bijinga and landscape.

89 - Sharaku: Nakamura Nakazo II as Prince Koretaka...

Sharaku: Nakamura Nakazo II as Prince Koretaka...

This is a typical example of the genius of Tōshūsai Sharaku: Nakamura Nakazo II as Prince Koretaka disguised as the Farmer Tsuchizo in the Play Intercalary Year Praise of a Famous Poem. In a sense, the portrait, which was created in 1795, has three layers. It shows an actor, playing a prince who plays a farmer. And all of them are visible in this face. This ability to catch many individuals in one is what makes Sharaku one of the greatest ukiyo-e masters.

88 - Kunitsuna: Sato Masakiyo Hunting the Magic Two-Tailed Tiger

Kunitsuna: Sato Masakiyo Hunting the Magic Two-Tailed Tiger

Not much is known about Utagawa Kunitsuna (1805-1868). Toyokuni was his teacher, but that is all I know. However, he was a good artist, as this triptych, Sato Masakiyo Hunting the Magic Two-Tailed Tiger, from 1860, clearly shows.

Sata Masakiyo's name in real life was Kato Kiyomasa. He was one of three generals who were sent by Hideyoshi to conquer Korea in 1592-1598, the so-called Imjin war. The campaign was brutal but ultimately unsuccessful. While being in Korea, however, Kiyomasa enjoyed a luxury Japan could not offer: tiger hunting.

The triptych can possibly have been created by Kunitsuna II (1829-1874). His style is so similar to Kunitsuna's that they are often confused with each other.

87 - Harunobu: Woman Visiting the Shrine in the Night

Harunobu: Woman Visiting the Shrine in the Night

Another bijinga from one of the greatest ukiyo-e masters, Suzuki Harunobu.

86 - Sadanobu II: Portrait of Saigō Takamori

Sadanobu II: Portrait of Saigō Takamori

In 1877, Sadanobu II made this portrait of Saigō Takamori.

Saigō Takamori, called the last true samurai, was the leader of the Satsuma Rebellion, which lasted between January and September in 1877.

Sadanobu II was active between 1867 and the 1880s.

85 - Shigenobu: Kachô-e

Yanagawa Shigenobu: Kachô-e, Title unknown

This beautiful kachô-e is created by Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787-1832), who was one of Hokusai's students, later adopted as his son.

84 - Eisen: Ono no Komachi – A Shy Girl

Eisen: A shy girl

 
Keisai Eisen (1790-1848) is especially known for his okubi-e. With him, the style is changing. Classical bijinga is over, and he enters new realms. The pictures become less ethereal.

This is an okubi-e, a print from about 1820: Ono no Komachi – A Shy Girl.

83 - Hokusai: E-goyomi

Hokusai: E-goyomi

Hokusai, one of the greatest ukiyo-e masters, made this e-goyomi in January 1792.

The printing of calendars was a government monopoly in Japan. By that forbidden to create calendars, the ukiyo-e artists developed the subgenre of e-goyomi. Literally it means "calendar print" - but, not to violate the monopoly, they had to conceal the calendar in the picture in some clever way.

82 - Kunisada II: Actor Bandô Mitsuemon as Akaiwa Gajirô

Kunisada II: Actor Bandô Mitsuemon as Akaiwa Gajirô

Here we have Bandô Mitsuemon as Akaiwa Gajirô, from the series The Book of the Eight Dog Heroes [Hakkenden inu no sôshi no uchi] from 1852. The creator is Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880), who was one of Vincent Van Gogh's favourite artists.

81 - Shigemasa: Servant Applying Medicinal Substance to Geisha's Arm

Shigemasa: Servant Applying Medicinal Substance to Geisha's Arm

Kitao Shigemasa (1739?-1820) was not only a printmaker, he also created poetry and was a skilled calligrapher.

This is a beautiful print, Servant Applying Medicinal Substance to Geisha's Arm.

80 - Kuniyoshi: Mongaku Shônin

Kuniyoshi: Mongaku Shônin

The title of this print by Kuniyoshi is not entirely right. Strictly, it should be: Not a very lucky day [Sembû - 先負], from the series Kuniyoshi’s Analogies for the Six Conditions of Nature. However, it is sometimes called just Mongaku Shônin. It shows Mongaku Shônin doing penance sitting 37 days under the freezing Nachi waterfall. Printed 1860, although the design might be from 1835.

The small picture shows Seitaka and Kongara, Fudo Myo-o’s two attendants.

The series, Kuniyoshi's Analogies for the Six Conditions of Nature, [Rokuyôsei Kuniyoshi jiman], pairs real and mythical persons with specific days in Japanese astrology.

79 - Hokkei: The Sumida River in Musashi Province

Hokkei: The Sumida River in Musashi Province

Totoya Hokkei (1780-1850) created this print, The Sumida River in Musashi Province. A fine design by a grossly underrated artist.

Sumida River flows through Tokyo. The river and its many bridges are popular motives in ukiyo-e.

78 - Hirokage: Head of a Tiger Eating a Rooster

Hirokage: Head of a Tiger Eating a Rooster

The somewhat confusing title of this print is Head of a Tiger Eating a Rooster. It is from 1860 and the artist is Utagawa Hirokage, who was active between 1855 and 1865. He was one of Hiroshige's students.

Quite clearly, this is not a tiger, but a leopard. There are other ukiyo-e prints as well, depicting leopards, where they are also called tigers in the title. In Japan of that time, they obviously believed that leopards were female tigers.

77 - Sadanobu: Kitano Tenmangû keidai

Sadanobu: Kitano Tenmangû keidai

Here we have a print by Hasegawa Sadanobu I (1809–1879), The Precincts of the Kitano Tenmangû Shrine (Kitano Tenmangû keidai), from the series Famous Places in the Capital (Miyako meisho no uchi), from 1870-1871.

Prints with views of famous places were a subgenre of late ukiyo-e and filled the same function as postcards did later.

Sadanobu I, who founded the Hasegawa school in Osaka, created mainly yakusha-e and views from famous places. He was a good artist, but not in parity with the greatest masters.

76 - Eishô: Motozue of the Daimonjiya

Eishô: Motozue of the Daimonjiya

This is an okubi-e by Chôkôsai Eishô (active approximately 1780-1800) - Motozue of the Daimonjiya, from the series Contest of Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters (Kakuchû bijin kurabe), from 1795-1797.

Eishô created several beautiful bijinga in the form of okubi-e. This picture, a portrait of a courtesan, is made extra interesting by the addition of a cat as a contrast to the face.

75 - Chōshun: Beauty in the Snow

Chōshun: Beauty in the Snow

Miyagawa Chōshun (1683-1753) founded the Miyagawa school. He and his students did not create woodblock prints; they exclusively painted.

This painting is Beauty in the Snow. The composition is typical for certain forms of East Asian art, where emptiness is used as an active element of the composition.

74 - Toshinobu II: Nitta no Shiro Tadatsune faces the Goddess of Mount Fuji and her dragon

Toshinobu II: Nitta no Shiro Tadatsune faces the Goddess of Mount Fuji and her dragon

This is a triptych by Toshinobu II, which shows Nitta no Shiro Tadatsune facing the Goddess of Mount Fuji and her dragon in a cave on Mt. Fuji. Tadatsune’s followers were afraid to enter the cave but Nitta no Shiro took a torch and entered. The Goddess congratulates him on his bravery.

Shirai Toshinobu (1866-1903) was a student of Yoshitoshi, who gave him the name Toshinobu.

This is a very beautiful print, although one can claim that the depicted animal is not a dragon but a serpent. In art, however, the borderline between the two is vague. Otherwise, strictly, a dragon has limbs, a serpent does not.

The name “Toshinobu” causes some confusion as to whom it really refers, because Yoshitoshi had three students using that name, and two of them signed with the same kanji characters [年信]. I believe, however, that here we have a triptych by Shirai Toshinobu, who is sometimes called Yamazaki Toshinobu II.

73 - Kyōsai: Title Unknown

Kyōsai: Title Unknown

I have not been able to find any title to this print by Kawanabe Kyōsai, so we leave it at that just to enjoy its graphic power. The colours and the composition are very effective and somehow the image looks very "modern".

72 - Hiroshige: Scorpionfish, Isaki, and Ginger

Hiroshige: Scorpionfish, Isaki, and Ginger

Hiroshige is best known for his landscapes, but he also made exquisite kachô-e. Mainly flowers and birds, but also fish. Here we have Scorpionfish, Isaki, and Ginger, from an untitled series known as Large Fish. It can be dated to 1832-1835.

71 - Sadamasu: Kataoka Ichizo as Mitsuhide Akechi

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Sadamasu: Kataoka Ichizo as Mitsuhide Akechi

Utagawa Kunimasu, sometimes called Sadamasu, was active about 1830-1854. Besides the probability of his having studied under Kunisada, very little is known about him.

The print is Kataoka Ichizo as Mitsuhide Akechi, from about 1841, a yakusha-e of a sort that is called okubi-e. That is when the picture mainly shows the head, but no complete body.

70 - Shungyō: Hōsō taiji no zu

Shungyō: Hōsō taiji no zu

This is a smallpox print. The red colour protects against smallpox, according to traditional Japanese lore. Its name is Hōsō taiji no zu. I have not been able to conclusively date this print.

There are sources dating it to the late 19th century. But Shungyō was active 1780-1840, so either the dating is wrong or it is from a different artist.

69 - Kunihiro: Nakamura Shikan II as Nuregami Chôgorô and Nakamura Matsue III as keisei Miyako

Kunihiro: Nakamura Shikan II as Nuregami Chôgorô and Nakamura Matsue III as keisei Miyako

Here we have a yakusha-e by Utagawa Kunihiro, Nakamura Shikan II as Nuregami Chôgorô and Nakamura Matsue III as keisei [courtesan] Miyako in the play Futatsu chôchô kuruwa nikki, from the Kado Theater in Osaka in 1827.

68 - Koryusai: Fisherman Waving to Girl on Shore

Koryusai: Fisherman Waving to Girl on Shore

A bijinga by Isoda Koryusai. Fisherman Waving to Girl on Shore. It is Summer from a series of Four Seasons from 1770-75. Note that this is an ordinary girl, not a geisha or courtesan.

67 - Sekkyô: White Falcon in a Pine Tree

Sekkyô: White Falcon in a Pine Tree

This is White Falcon in a Pine Tree, by Sawa Sekkyô, who was active in the late 18th and early 19th century. His studies of birds are often, as here, made as aizuri-e, with only blue colour.

66 - Chikanobu: The Battle of Awazugahara

Chikanobu: The Battle of Awazugahara: The warrior woman Tomoe Gozen and Hatakeyama Shigetada

Here we have a triptych from 1883 by Toyohara Chikanobu: The Battle of Awazugahara: The warrior woman Tomoe Gozen and Hatakeyama Shigetada.

The print is an illustration to Heike Monogatari [平家物語] - The Tale of the Heike - which is a recording from the 13th century about the wars between the Taira (Heike) and the Minamoto (Genji) clan.

Tomoe Gozen was a female samurai who became a fighter in order to protect Kiso Yoshinaka, her beloved.

65 - Masanobu: Murasaki Shikibu

Masanobu: Murasaki Shikibu

Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764) was one of the earliest ukiyo-e masters. He experimented with style, motive, perspective, format, and technique. Posterity has not given him the attention he deserves. His works definitely influenced subsequent ukiyo-e.

This print is: Murasaki Shikibu, from the series Ukiyo-e Genji, created about 1710.

Murasaki Shikibu was a lady of nobility. She wrote what is often considered the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji [源氏物語, Genji Monogatari], written sometime between 1000 and 1012 AD.

64 - Gekkō: Carp in the Tone River

Gekkō: Carp in the Tone River

Carp in the Tone River is a print by Ogata Gekkō. It is taken from the series Famous Views and Beautiful Women.

63 - Yoshitsuya: Shuten Dōji's Head Attacking Raiko's Band of Warriors

Yoshitsuya: Shuten Dōji's Head Attacking Raiko's Band of Warriors

Shuten-dōji is a mythical creature, a yokai and an oni leader residing in Ooe-yama (Mount Ooe). He is sometimes considered one of the "great three evil yokai". There are severel different stories about his ancestry, birth and life, but he is inherently evil. The emperor in Kyoto wants him killed and sends the legendary samurai Minamoto "Raiko" Yorimitsu to defeat Shuten-dōji. Raiko gives Shuten-dōji poisoned sake, and when he drinks he falls asleep and his head is cut off. The cut-off head, however, is still alive and tries to bite Raiko, who finally wins with the help of a magical helmet.

This print is Shuten Dōji's Head Attacking Raiko's Band of Warriors, from 1858. The artist is Utagawa Yoshitsuya (1822-1866).

62 - Utamaro II: Benzaiten Playing Lute

Utamaro II: Benzaiten Playing Lute

Kitagawa Utamaro II, (1753?-1831?) first called himself Koikawa Shunsho, but adopted the name Kitagawa Utamaro II when his teacher, the first Utamaro, died. He also married his teacher's widow.

Utamaro II continued to create prints in the style of his predecessor, and even signed them in the same way. Today it is impossible to say with certainty where the first Utamaro ends and the second starts.

I like this little black and white print by Utamaro II, Benzaiten Playing Lute. Colour would just be a distraction from the graceful lines.

The musical instrument is a biwa, a traditional Japanese lute, commonly associated with Benzaiten, the goddess of music.

61 - Toyoharu: Act VII (Shichidanme)

Toyoharu: Act VII (Shichidanme)

Utagawa Toyoharu (1735?-1814) founded the later so successful Utagawa school. Among its many members, were, for instance, Hiroshige, Kunisada and Kuniyoshi.

A print using perspective to create a sense of depth is called uki-e. Toyoharu was the first to apply perspective in nishiki-e (full colour print). Here we see one example of his uki-e: Act VII (Shichidanme), from the series Perspective Pictures of the Storehouse of Loyal Retainers (Uki-e Kanadehon Chûshingura).

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.

53 - Hokusai: The Strong Oi Pouring Sake

Hokusai: The Strong Oi Pouring Sake

The Strong Oi Pouring Sake is a portrait Hokusai made of his daughter, Oi. She was also an artist and her art name was Sakae; the title of the portrait is likely to be a pun based on that.

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage, sometimes called rice wine. While it is made of rice, it is not correct to call it wine. It is not, as wine, made by fermentation of sugar naturally present in grapes (or other fruit), but by a brewing-like process, where starch is first converted to sugar, which is then fermented to produce the alcohol. Thus, technically, sake is not wine.

 

52 - Kunisada: Yakusha-e from the Kawarazaki Theatre 1852

Kunisada: Yakusha-e from 1852

This is a yakusha-e by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), Actors Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Nuregami Chôgorô (right), Ichikawa Saruzô I as Yamasaki Yogorô, Iwai Kumesaburô III as Azuma of the Fujiya (center), and Arashi Rikan III as Hanaregoma Chôkichi (left). It shows scenes from the plays Imoseyama Onna Teikin and Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki, at Kawarazaki Theatre in 1852.

Kunisada, sometimes called Toyokuni III, was the superstar of his time, the ukiyo-e artist who had the greatest commercial success during his own lifetime. He was more famous in Japan of his time than Hokusai or Hiroshige.

51 - Hiroshige II: Kinryuzan Temple in Asakusa

Hiroshige II: Kinryuzan Temple in Asakusa

Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826-1868), originally Shinpei Suzuki, was a student of Hiroshige I, the "great" Hiroshige. He married the latter's daughter and when Hiroshige I died, Shinpei Suzuki took his teacher's name. He continued to work in the classical Hiroshige style, and his works are confusingly similar to those of Hiroshige I.

The print above is from the middle of the 19th century: Kinryuzan Temple in Asakusa, from the series Famous Places in the Eastern Capital.

This is an aizuri-e, a print primarily in blue.

50 - Harunobu: Bijinga

Harunobu: Bijinga

Undoubtedly, Harunobu was one of the earliest, greatest, and most innovative of the ukiyo-e masters. In his best works, primarily bijinga, the female figures possess an elegance few other artists have been able to achieve.

Here he displays a bijin sitting on the back of an ox. A peculiar and precarious position, yet the figure has not lost anything of its gracefulness.

49 - Hokkei: Urashima Tarō Going Home on the Back of a Tai Fish

Hokkei: Urashima Tarō Going Home on the Back of a Tai Fish

This is a surimono by Totoya Hokkei, showing Urashima Tarō Going Home on the Back of a Tai Fish - the Emperor of the Sea Seeing Him Off.

Urashima Tarō is a figure in a Japanese legend. He saves a turtle, which shows to be the daughter of the Emperor of the Sea, Ryūjin. The Emperor wants to thank him, so he is taken to the Palace of the Dragon God at the bottom of the sea, where he meets the Emperor and his daughter, now the princess Otohime. When he is permitted to return home to see his aged mother, 300 years have passed - and when he opens a box Otohime gave him but forbade him to open, he suddenly ages. The box contained "his old age".

There are several different versions of the tale.

48 - Hokusai: Kanagawa oki nami ura - The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Hokusai: Kanagawa oki nami ura

In a selection of ukiyo-e, it is impossible not to include this print. It might very well be the most famous Japanese artwork ever. It is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, by Katsushika Hokusai. The Japanese title of the print is - Kanagawa oki nami ura 神奈川沖浪裏 - and an alternative title in English, one that better resembles the Japanese original, is Under the Wave off Kanagawa.

The picture was originally published between 1826 and 1833.

47 - Hirosada: Nakayama Nanshi II as Umegae and Jitsukawa Enzaburô I as Kajiwara Genta

Hirosada: Nakayama Nanshi II as Umegae and Jitsukawa Enzaburô I as Kajiwara Genta

Here we have a yakusha-e by the technically and artistically skilled Hirosada. This is a portrait of two kabuki actors: Nakayama Nanshi II as Umegae and Jitsukawa Enzaburô I as Kajiwara Genta in the play Hiragana Seisuiki, performed at Naka Theatre in Osaka in the 8th month 1851.