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KUNIYOSHI
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Artist – Utagawa
KUNIYOSHI (歌川 国芳, January 1, 1797 – April 14, 1861) was one of
the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of
woodblock prints and painting. Together with with Hiroshige
and Kunisada, he was one of three paramount masters of
Japanese woodblock at the end of the Edo period. He was a member of the Utagawa school. The
range of KUNIYOSHI's
subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women,
kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for
depictions of the battles of legendary samurai heroes. His
artwork incorporated aspects of Western representation in
landscape painting and caricature.
Apparently he assisted his father's business as a pattern designer, and some have suggested that this experience influenced his rich use of color and textile patterns in prints. It is said that KUNIYOSHI was impressed, at an early age of seven or eight, by ukiyo-e warrior prints, and by pictures of artisans and commoners (as depicted in craftsmen manuals), and it is possible these influenced his own later prints. Yoshisaburō proved his drawing talents at age 12, quickly attracting the attention of the famous ukiyo-e print master Utagawa Toyokuni (I). He was officially admitted to Toyokuni's studio in 1811, and became one of his chief pupils. One of his fellow disciples was Kunisada (I). He remained an apprentice until 1814, at which time he was given the name "KUNI-YOSHI" and set out as an independent artist. During this year he produced his first published work, the illustrations for the "Kusazōshi gōkan Gobuji Chūshingura", a parody of the original Chūshingura story. Between 1815-1817 he created a number of book illustrations for yomihon, kokkeibon, gōkan and hanashibon, and printed his stand-alone full color prints of "kabuki" actors and warriors. During the 1820s, KUNIYOSHI produced a number of heroic triptychs that show the first signs of an individual style. In 1827 he received his first major commission for the series, "One hundred and eight heroes" of the popular "Suikoden" ("Tūszoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori"), based on the even nowadays incredibly popular Chinese tale "The Outlaws of the (Liang-Shan) Marsh(es)" ("Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn", "水浒传"). In this series KUNIYOSHI illustrated individual heroes on single-sheets, drawing tattoos on his heroes, a novelty which soon influenced Edo fashion. The Suikoden series became extremely popular in Edo, and the demand for KUNIYOSHI’s warrior prints increased, gaining him entrance into the major ukiyō-e and literary circles.
KUNIYOSHI continued to produce warrior prints, drawing much of his subjects from war tales such as Tale of the "Heike" ("Heike monogatari") and "The rise and fall of the Minamoto and the Taira" ("Genpei Seisuiki"). His warrior prints were unique in that they depicted legendary popular figures with an added stress on dreams, ghostly apparitions, omens, and superhuman feats. This subject matter is instilled in his works "The ghost of Taira Tomomori at Daimotsu Bay" ("Taira Tomomori borei no zu") and the 1839 triptych "The Gōjō Bridge" ("Gōjō no bashi no zu"), where he manages to invoke an effective sense of action intensity in his depiction of the combat between Yoshitsune and Benkei. These new thematic styles satisfied the public’s interest in the ghastly, exciting, and bizarre that was growing during the time. The ‘Tenpō reforms’ of 1841-1843 aimed to alleviate economic crisis by controlling public displays of luxury and wealth, and the illustration of courtesans and actors in ukiyō-e was officially banned at that time. This may have had some influence on KUNIYOSHI's production of caricature prints or "comic pictures" ("gi-ga", "戯画"), which were used to disguise actual actors and courtesans. Many of these symbolically and humorously criticized the shogunate (such as the 1843 design showing Minamoto no Yorimitsu asleep, haunted by the Earth Spider and his demons) and became popular among the politically dissatisfied public. It was said, that the repressive conventions of the day produced unintended consequences. The government-created limitations became a kind of artistic challenge which actually encouraged KUNIYOSHI’s creative resourcefulness by forcing him to find ways to veil criticism of the shogunate allegorically.
During the decade leading up to the reforms, KUNIYOSHI also produced landscape prints (fūkeiga), which were outside the bounds of censorship and catered to the rising popularity of personal travel in late Edo Japan. Notable among these were "Famous products of the provinces" ("Sankai meisan zukushi") from 1828-30, where he incorporated Western shading and perspective and pigments, as well as "Famous views of the Eastern capital" in the early 1830s, which was certainly influenced by Hokusai’s 1831 "Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji" ("Fujaku sanjurokkei"). KUNIYOSHI also produced works of purely natural subject matter, notably of animals, birds and fish that mimicked traditional Japanese and Chinese painting.
In the late 1840s, KUNIYOSHI again began to illustrate actor prints, this time evading censorship (or simply evoking creativity) through childish, cartoon-like portraits of famous kabuki actors, the most notable being "Scribbling on the storehouse wall" ("Nitakaragurakabe no mudagaki"). Here he creatively used elementary, childlike script sloppily written in kana under the actor faces. Reflecting his love for felines, Kuniyoshi also began to use cats in the place of humans in kabuki and satirical prints. He is also known during this time to have experimented with ‘wide-screen’ composition, magnifying visual elements in the image for a dramatic, exaggerated effect. In 1856 KUNIYOSHI suffered from palsy, which caused him much difficulty in moving his limbs. It is said that his works from this point onward were noticeably weaker in the use of line and overall vitality. Before his death in 1861, KUNIYOSHI was able to witness the opening of the port city of Yokohama to foreigners, and in 1860 produced two works depicting Westerners in the city (Yokohama-e).
Personal life - KUNIYOSHI was born on January 1st in 1797, as son of the silk-dyer YANAGIYA Kichiyemon (柳屋 吉右衛門). He was originally called Yoshizō (芳三) or Yoshisaburō (芳三郎), his later real name was IGUSA Magosaburō (井草 孫三郎). He became apprenticed at the age of 12. Until 1826, he must have been working in another profession as a craftsman, may be he was back in his father's business. In the late 1820-ies he was able to start a family, and married a member of the Iwara (or Saitō clan). He at least had one issue, a daughter named Yoshitori (芳鳥), later being one of his pupils. In 1830, he moved to a rented house of New Izumi-cho (新和泉町) where he established his studio and workshop. In late 1837 he moved to an new house in Mukojima (向島). Japan experienced severe economic problems in the early 1840-ies.The Tenpō reforms (1841-1843) aimed to alleviate economic crisis. Unnecessary luxury was unwanted, tabooed or even prohibited. Therefore public displays of luxury and wealth, courtesans and actors in ukiyō-e was officially banned at that time. Thus in 1842 also KUNIYOSHI's economic situation turned desperate. It was said that he was forced to make a living by repairing and selling tatami mats. Producing political unwanted caricatures and sketches, he had been several times commanded to court. After overcomeing all these hardships, his business and school seemed to flower once again. At the age of 65 in April 1861, he died in his home in Genyadana.
Aliases - KUNIYOSHI's childhood name was Yoshizō (芳三) or Yoshisaburō (芳三郎). Toyokuni (I) gave him KUNIYOSHI (国芳) as his ga-name, used all along his career as ukiyo-e master. KUNIYOSHI's later real name was IGUSA Magosaburō (井草 孫三郎).
Most of his signatures read "KUNIYOSHI" ("国芳"), but using different epithets: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇斎国芳画), Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi shukuzu (sketched by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi, 一勇斎国芳縮図), Chôôrô Kuniyoshi ga (朝櫻楼国芳画), or even Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga (一勇斎国芳戯画, caricatured by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi).
Disciples - Kuniyoshi was an excellent teacher and had numerous pupils who continued his branch of the Utagawa school. Among the most notable were Kawanabe Kyōsai (河鍋 暁斎, 1831-1889) and Tsukioka ('Taiso') Yoshitoshi (月岡 '大蘇' 芳年, 1839-1892). Other noteworthy artists were Yoshitora (ca. 1836/82), Yoshitoyo-I (ca. 1830/60), Yoshiiku (1833–1904), Yoshitsuna (active 1848~1868), Yoshitsuya (1822~1866), Yoshikazu (active 1848–1870), Yoshimune-I (1817–1880), and Yoshifuji (1828-1887).
Typically his students began an apprenticeship in which they worked primarily on musha-e in a style similar to that of their master. As they became established as independent artists, many went on to develop highly innovative styles of their own. His most important student was Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who is now regarded as the "last master" of the Japanese woodblock print. His daughter Yoshitori-jo (芳鳥女, died 1899) was among his pupils, and until 1852 helped with adding many cartuches to Kuniyoshis designs. She produced prints under her fathers signature and was illustrating several books. Among those influenced by Kuniyoshi was Toyohara Chikanobu. Takashi Murakami credits the pioneering influence of Kuniyoshi affecting his work.
Apparently he assisted his father's business as a pattern designer, and some have suggested that this experience influenced his rich use of color and textile patterns in prints. It is said that KUNIYOSHI was impressed, at an early age of seven or eight, by ukiyo-e warrior prints, and by pictures of artisans and commoners (as depicted in craftsmen manuals), and it is possible these influenced his own later prints. Yoshisaburō proved his drawing talents at age 12, quickly attracting the attention of the famous ukiyo-e print master Utagawa Toyokuni (I). He was officially admitted to Toyokuni's studio in 1811, and became one of his chief pupils. One of his fellow disciples was Kunisada (I). He remained an apprentice until 1814, at which time he was given the name "KUNI-YOSHI" and set out as an independent artist. During this year he produced his first published work, the illustrations for the "Kusazōshi gōkan Gobuji Chūshingura", a parody of the original Chūshingura story. Between 1815-1817 he created a number of book illustrations for yomihon, kokkeibon, gōkan and hanashibon, and printed his stand-alone full color prints of "kabuki" actors and warriors. During the 1820s, KUNIYOSHI produced a number of heroic triptychs that show the first signs of an individual style. In 1827 he received his first major commission for the series, "One hundred and eight heroes" of the popular "Suikoden" ("Tūszoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori"), based on the even nowadays incredibly popular Chinese tale "The Outlaws of the (Liang-Shan) Marsh(es)" ("Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn", "水浒传"). In this series KUNIYOSHI illustrated individual heroes on single-sheets, drawing tattoos on his heroes, a novelty which soon influenced Edo fashion. The Suikoden series became extremely popular in Edo, and the demand for KUNIYOSHI’s warrior prints increased, gaining him entrance into the major ukiyō-e and literary circles.
KUNIYOSHI continued to produce warrior prints, drawing much of his subjects from war tales such as Tale of the "Heike" ("Heike monogatari") and "The rise and fall of the Minamoto and the Taira" ("Genpei Seisuiki"). His warrior prints were unique in that they depicted legendary popular figures with an added stress on dreams, ghostly apparitions, omens, and superhuman feats. This subject matter is instilled in his works "The ghost of Taira Tomomori at Daimotsu Bay" ("Taira Tomomori borei no zu") and the 1839 triptych "The Gōjō Bridge" ("Gōjō no bashi no zu"), where he manages to invoke an effective sense of action intensity in his depiction of the combat between Yoshitsune and Benkei. These new thematic styles satisfied the public’s interest in the ghastly, exciting, and bizarre that was growing during the time. The ‘Tenpō reforms’ of 1841-1843 aimed to alleviate economic crisis by controlling public displays of luxury and wealth, and the illustration of courtesans and actors in ukiyō-e was officially banned at that time. This may have had some influence on KUNIYOSHI's production of caricature prints or "comic pictures" ("gi-ga", "戯画"), which were used to disguise actual actors and courtesans. Many of these symbolically and humorously criticized the shogunate (such as the 1843 design showing Minamoto no Yorimitsu asleep, haunted by the Earth Spider and his demons) and became popular among the politically dissatisfied public. It was said, that the repressive conventions of the day produced unintended consequences. The government-created limitations became a kind of artistic challenge which actually encouraged KUNIYOSHI’s creative resourcefulness by forcing him to find ways to veil criticism of the shogunate allegorically.
During the decade leading up to the reforms, KUNIYOSHI also produced landscape prints (fūkeiga), which were outside the bounds of censorship and catered to the rising popularity of personal travel in late Edo Japan. Notable among these were "Famous products of the provinces" ("Sankai meisan zukushi") from 1828-30, where he incorporated Western shading and perspective and pigments, as well as "Famous views of the Eastern capital" in the early 1830s, which was certainly influenced by Hokusai’s 1831 "Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji" ("Fujaku sanjurokkei"). KUNIYOSHI also produced works of purely natural subject matter, notably of animals, birds and fish that mimicked traditional Japanese and Chinese painting.
In the late 1840s, KUNIYOSHI again began to illustrate actor prints, this time evading censorship (or simply evoking creativity) through childish, cartoon-like portraits of famous kabuki actors, the most notable being "Scribbling on the storehouse wall" ("Nitakaragurakabe no mudagaki"). Here he creatively used elementary, childlike script sloppily written in kana under the actor faces. Reflecting his love for felines, Kuniyoshi also began to use cats in the place of humans in kabuki and satirical prints. He is also known during this time to have experimented with ‘wide-screen’ composition, magnifying visual elements in the image for a dramatic, exaggerated effect. In 1856 KUNIYOSHI suffered from palsy, which caused him much difficulty in moving his limbs. It is said that his works from this point onward were noticeably weaker in the use of line and overall vitality. Before his death in 1861, KUNIYOSHI was able to witness the opening of the port city of Yokohama to foreigners, and in 1860 produced two works depicting Westerners in the city (Yokohama-e).
Personal life - KUNIYOSHI was born on January 1st in 1797, as son of the silk-dyer YANAGIYA Kichiyemon (柳屋 吉右衛門). He was originally called Yoshizō (芳三) or Yoshisaburō (芳三郎), his later real name was IGUSA Magosaburō (井草 孫三郎). He became apprenticed at the age of 12. Until 1826, he must have been working in another profession as a craftsman, may be he was back in his father's business. In the late 1820-ies he was able to start a family, and married a member of the Iwara (or Saitō clan). He at least had one issue, a daughter named Yoshitori (芳鳥), later being one of his pupils. In 1830, he moved to a rented house of New Izumi-cho (新和泉町) where he established his studio and workshop. In late 1837 he moved to an new house in Mukojima (向島). Japan experienced severe economic problems in the early 1840-ies.The Tenpō reforms (1841-1843) aimed to alleviate economic crisis. Unnecessary luxury was unwanted, tabooed or even prohibited. Therefore public displays of luxury and wealth, courtesans and actors in ukiyō-e was officially banned at that time. Thus in 1842 also KUNIYOSHI's economic situation turned desperate. It was said that he was forced to make a living by repairing and selling tatami mats. Producing political unwanted caricatures and sketches, he had been several times commanded to court. After overcomeing all these hardships, his business and school seemed to flower once again. At the age of 65 in April 1861, he died in his home in Genyadana.
Aliases - KUNIYOSHI's childhood name was Yoshizō (芳三) or Yoshisaburō (芳三郎). Toyokuni (I) gave him KUNIYOSHI (国芳) as his ga-name, used all along his career as ukiyo-e master. KUNIYOSHI's later real name was IGUSA Magosaburō (井草 孫三郎).
Most of his signatures read "KUNIYOSHI" ("国芳"), but using different epithets: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇斎国芳画), Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi shukuzu (sketched by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi, 一勇斎国芳縮図), Chôôrô Kuniyoshi ga (朝櫻楼国芳画), or even Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga (一勇斎国芳戯画, caricatured by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi).
Disciples - Kuniyoshi was an excellent teacher and had numerous pupils who continued his branch of the Utagawa school. Among the most notable were Kawanabe Kyōsai (河鍋 暁斎, 1831-1889) and Tsukioka ('Taiso') Yoshitoshi (月岡 '大蘇' 芳年, 1839-1892). Other noteworthy artists were Yoshitora (ca. 1836/82), Yoshitoyo-I (ca. 1830/60), Yoshiiku (1833–1904), Yoshitsuna (active 1848~1868), Yoshitsuya (1822~1866), Yoshikazu (active 1848–1870), Yoshimune-I (1817–1880), and Yoshifuji (1828-1887).
Typically his students began an apprenticeship in which they worked primarily on musha-e in a style similar to that of their master. As they became established as independent artists, many went on to develop highly innovative styles of their own. His most important student was Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who is now regarded as the "last master" of the Japanese woodblock print. His daughter Yoshitori-jo (芳鳥女, died 1899) was among his pupils, and until 1852 helped with adding many cartuches to Kuniyoshis designs. She produced prints under her fathers signature and was illustrating several books. Among those influenced by Kuniyoshi was Toyohara Chikanobu. Takashi Murakami credits the pioneering influence of Kuniyoshi affecting his work.
Copyright 2008 ff: Hans P. Boehme