Kogyo (1869 - 1927 )
Kogyo Tsukioka was a woodblock print artist, painter, and illustrator who brought the theatrical art of noh to life through rich, painterly colors and shimmering costumes. While he is best known for scenes of the noh stage, he also produced some war prints and nature studies. Born in Tokyo in 1869 as Hanyu (Sakamaki) Bennosuke (sometimes read Sadanosuke), Kogyo was the son of an innkeeper in the Nihonbashi district. He began his career as an artisan. At age twelve, he worked as his uncle's apprentice decorating pottery for foreign export, then attended a prefectural institute to study glass, stone, and ceramic work in 1884. Kogyo entered the workshop of renowned ukiyo-e artist Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (1839-1892) in 1885 before studying under painter and printmaker Gekko Ogata (1859-1920), from whom he received the name "Kogyo." His interest in noh theater first bloomed in his late 20s. At this time, the traditional theatrical art was actively redefining itself for the modern era. Shaking off its aristocratic associations, Noh expanded its audience, both to the greater public in Japan and internationally, through the visits of foreign dignitaries. As the audience of noh grew, Kogyo broke new ground in the depiction of noh subjects. Rather than foregrounding the actors’ personas, Kogyo creates a subtle sense of the stage and set to capture the fleeting moments of a live performance. It is thought that Kogyo's series such as A Great Mirror of Noh Pictures (Noga Taikan, c. 1925-30) and illustrations for the popular periodical Manners and Customer in Pictures (Fuzoku gaho, 1898-1916) contributed to the popularization of this traditional art form. By the time of Kogyo’s death in 1927, noh theater had secured a significant standing in popular culture.
74 Products
Kogyo
Ohara Goko: The former Empress Kenreimon-in, now a nun, and her lady-in-waiting return from gathering star anise
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Morihisa: Shume no Morihisa reads a sutra as as he prepares to be executed
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Ikkaku Sennin: The horned hermit, Ikkaku Sennin, guards the front of his cave where he has imprisoned the rain-making dragon kings
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Makiginu: The god Otanashi no Tenjin appears as a priestess to save a man in gratitude for his offering
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Kogo: Lady Kogo reading a love letter from the retired Emperor Takakura
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Nue: The spirit of the nue has the head of monkey, the body of a badger, the tail of a serpent, and the legs of a tiger
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Kumasaka: The ghost of Kumasaka no Chohan describes his death at Ushiwakamaru's hand
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Arashiyama: The god Zao Gongen dances among the cherry trees at Arashiyama
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Makura Jido: The child Jido sits among the chrysanthemums that he uses to create the elixir of life
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Kanawa: A woman transformed into a demon attacks the paper dolls representing her husband and his new wife
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Ama: A diver tells the story of how she retrieved the jewel from the undersea palace of the Dragon King
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Kashiwazaki: Hanakawa and his mother are reunited at Zenkoji Temple
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Tsuchiguruma: The son of Fukakusa is reunited with his father at Zenkoji Temple
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Higaki: An old woman recalls the time when she danced for Fujiwara no Okinori
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Shokun: Obo, mother of Lady Shokun, seeing the ghosts of the barbarian king Kanyasho and her daughter in a mirror
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Kinuta: The ghost of the wife of the man from Ashiya
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Shiga: A court official watches the god Shiga no Myōjin dancing under a cherry tree
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Shunzei Tadanori: The ghost of Tadanori appears to express his wish to be included in a poetry anthology
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Kuzu: An old man symbolically serves fish to the Emperor
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