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.
439 Products
Kuniyoshi
Higuchi Jiro (Kanemitsu) Fighting a Giant Monkey
JP-211112
Kuniyoshi
Nakayama Yaichiro, Marino Yashiro, Mekake Kikuno, Iwata Senjuro and Kamata Matahachi
JPR-92365
Kuniyoshi
Seba: Musashibo Benkei and Tosabo Shoshun
JP-210627
Kuniyoshi
Abe no Yasuchika Exorcizing the Fox-woman Tamamo no Mae
JPR-211075
Kuniyoshi
Sanada Yoichi Yoshitada and Matano Goro Kagehisa
JPR-211073
Kuniyoshi
Poet Fujiwara no Okikaze: Higuchi Jiro Kanemitsu on Pine Tree
JP1-46223
Kuniyoshi
The Ghost of Nitta Yoshioki on a White Horse Attacking His Murderer Takezawa
JPR-211072
Kuniyoshi
Actor Onoe Kikugoro III Reclining in a Boat on the Sumida River
JPR-209991
Kuniyoshi
Fujieda: Priest Rensho, Formerly Kumagai Naozane
JPR-210780