Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861 )
The son of silk dyer, Kuniyoshi Utagawa was born into the Igusa family in Edo. Little is known about his very early years, though he is said to have shown remarkable talent from a young age. Kuniyoshi began his ukiyo-e career as a pupil of Shunei. At age 14 he was accepted to study the art of woodblock printing under Toyokuni I and, in time, would become one of his most successful students. In 1814, he left Toyokuni’s studio to pursue a career as an independent ukiyo-e artist. Initially, he had little success, selling tatami mats in order to support himself. However, his fortunes changed in 1827 with his dramatic series 108 Heroes of the Suikoden. From that point forward, the public hungered for his portrayals of famous samurai and legendary heroes. Kuniyoshi Utagawa worked across all genres, producing some brilliant landscapes and charming bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women). He died in the spring of 1861 from complications of a stroke.
In direct contrast to the peaceful views of a scenic Japan provided by Hiroshige and Hokusai, the following decades saw a rise of the fierce, fearsome and fantastical in ukiyo-e. Kuniyoshi welcomed this changing public taste. He had a ravenous imagination and the full scope of his work reveals an aesthetic sensibility capable of capturing almost any experience. No doubt, however, his particular genius felt most at home in the world of martial glory, where epic battles decided the fate of empires and fierce warriors clashed to the death. Kuniyoshi's Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints were so popular in his time that he received requests for tattoo designs.
440 Products
Kuniyoshi
Du Qian, the Sky Toucher (Mochakuten Tosen)
JPR-209553
Kuniyoshi
Taira Masakado Expels Rokuro Kintsura from the Court
JP-110534
Kuniyoshi
The Capture of Kidomaru by Minamoto no Raiko
JP-209216
Kuniyoshi
Incomparable Hidari Jingoro (Master Sculptor)
JPR-87609
Kuniyoshi
In 1153 at Konoe's Palace the Skilled Archer Yorimasa Shooting the Nue
JP1503
Kuniyoshi
At Kiyomori's Visit to Nunobiki Waterfall, Ghost of Akugenta Yoshihira Strikes Down Nanba Jiro
JPR-84454
Kuniyoshi
General Tamura and the Demon of Suzuka Mountain in Tsuchiyama
JP1-63332
Kuniyoshi
Takiyasha and Skeleton Specter in the Ruined Palace at Soma
JP-208785
Kuniyoshi
Yatsuhashi: Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Teranishi Kanshin
JP-208298
Kuniyoshi
Minamoto no Yoriie Watching Asahina Yoshihide Fighting Two Crocodiles at Kotsubo in Kamakura
JPR5045
Kuniyoshi
Comical Panoramic View of Yoritomo’s Hunting Party under Mt. Fuji
JPR-209039
Kuniyoshi
Complete Album: Biographies of the Loyal Retainers
JPR-209531