Mishima, Shoso (1856 - 1928 )
Shoso Mishima was a nihonga painter and print designer active during the Meiji period. Born in Edo, Shoso began his artistic training in Maruyama-Shijo School painting. As the student of Yosai Kikuchi, Shoso focused principally on figural, historical scenes. He also produced kacho-e (bird and flower pictures) and a ceiling painting within the Imperial Palace. Shoso’s introduction to illustration and print design came through Seitei Watanabe, a friend of Yosai Kikuchi. Shoso became an active kuchi-e (frontispiece illustration) artist, working mainly with the publisher Shun’yodo. His works appeared in fourteen issues of the monthly literary magazine Bungei Kurabu (Literary Club) and numerous books. In addition to kuchi-e, Shoso completed a series of floral prints, as well some kaika-e (enlightenment pictures) and children’s prints. Shoso was an avid admirer of the ukiyo-e master Sharaku and amassed an impressive collection of Sharaku’s rare designs. Sadly, Shoso’s collection was lost in a fire.
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.