Kiyonaga (1752 - 1815 )
The son of a bookseller and publisher in Uraga, Kiyonaga was born Shinsuke Sekiguchi in 1752. He moved to Edo in 1765 and began his art education in both printmaking and painting under the direction of Kiyomasu. Following the death of his master, Kiyonaga was adopted as the heir to the Torii family. He was a major printmaker in late 18th century Edo, influenced by the works of Koryusai, Shigenaga and Harunobu. From 1781 to 1788, Kiyonaga's woodblock prints dominated ukiyo-e with their depictions of bijin (beautiful women) and stylish scenes of Edo life. His work greatly influenced other ukiyo-e artists and he is recognized for his use of color and the maturity of his nishiki-e (brocade prints) and bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women). In 1787, Kiyonaga arranged for the Torii school to design kabuki signboards. This arrangement would eventually lead to the school’s virtual monopoly over the industry. Despite his immense popularity, Kiyonaga turned away from woodblock printing in 1790 to focus on painting.
Ukiyo-e | Japanese Woodblock Prints | Ronin Gallery
Explore the largest collection of 17th-19th century original Japanese woodblock prints in the United States at Ronin Gallery. Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” captured the exciting urban popular culture of the Edo period (1603-1868), promoting its beauty, fashions and heroes. While the Buddhist term ukiyo originally emphasized the transitory nature of human life, during the 17th century the term gradually shifted its reference to the ephemeral world of pleasure and indulgence. From 17th century Buddhist woodcuts through 19th century Japanese ukiyo-e print masters, enter a vibrant world of enchanting landscapes and sublime nature studies by Hokusai and Hiroshige, dramatic kabuki actors by Sharaku and Toyokuni, fierce samurai by Kuniyoshi, and elegant beauties by Utamaro. With the ravages of time, war and fire, today few of these precious original Japanese woodblock prints survive outside of museums and important private collections.
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Kiyonaga
The Sixth Month: Fashionable Scenes from the Twelve Months
JPR-209521