Koryusai (1735 - 1790 )
Koryusai Isoda was born into the samurai class as Masakatsu Isoda. His family served the daimyo (regional lord) of Tsuchiya, yet Koryusai abandoned this life to move to Edo. He became a ronin (a samurai without a master) and commenced his artistic career. Training first as a Kano painter, Koryusai changed his course to printmaking during the mid-1760s. While cited as the pupil of Shigenaga, Koryusai’s early prints, signed Haruhiro, suggest the tutelage of Harunobu. Koryusai Isoda was a prolific artist, completing illustrations and single-sheet prints alike. In 1776, he released Models for Fashion, one of his most important series. He is known for his coveted kacho-e (bird-and-flower pictures), bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women), hashira-e (pillar prints), and the strong use of orange in his prints. After 1780, Koryusai revived his early Kano training and produced ishizuri-e (stone-printed pictures). Soon after this transition, the emperor bestowed Koryusai with the prestigious epithet of “Hokkyo,” a high honor at the time. Furthermore, Koryusai was one of the first ukiyo-e artists to use the oban format for prints (approximately 14 x 10 in). This size allowed larger compositions and soon became the standard size for ukiyo-e.
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.
21 Products
Koryusai
Courtesan Dreaming a Lucky New Year Dream of Fuji, Falcon, and Eggplant
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Koryusai
Oiran Katsuyama and Her Attendants from Minoya
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