Yoshiiku (1833 - 1904 )
Yoshiiku was a popular ukiyo-e printmaker during the Meiji period. It is thought that he was the son of a tea house proprietor, hence his particular skill success in the portrayal of various beauties from teahouses and restaurants. Yet, he was an artist comfortable across subject matter and is recognized for his fierce portrayal of famous historical warriors. Yoshiiku was a student of Kuniyoshi and a contemporary rival of the famed Yoshitoshi. He signed his name Utagawa Yoshiiku, Ikkeisai Yoshiiku and Chokaro Yoshiiku. Beyond ukiyo-e, the woodblock printing process was used for newspaper illustrations before the introduction of photography. He worked as an illustrator for both the Tokyo Daily News and the Tokyo Illustrated News. Yoshiiku's prints can be found in the Brooklyn Museum, The Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Meiji Period Prints (1868-1912)
Meiji-period woodblock prints reflect an era of change. In 1853, the arrival of Commodore Perry’s black ships brought over 250 years of Japanese isolation to an abrupt end. The following year, as Japan engaged in international trade, Yokohama-e (Yokohama pictures) captured an influx of unfamiliar peoples, places and things entering Japan through Yokohama harbor. By 1868, the Imperial line attained control of the country under Emperor Meiji, terminating the feudal rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate and dissipating the culture of the floating world. Under the emperor, national modernization progressed rapidly. From Western-style clothes and pastimes, to exciting new inventions from overseas, Japan absorbed the massive influx of the foreign and developed a distinctly Japanese modern identity. While photography and lithography gained popularity at this time, the woodblock print continued to serve as a powerful medium. Meiji period artists made sense of a transitioning world with a familiar medium.
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Yoshiiku
Yomogiu: Otakutaro Mitsukuni Encounters Hobgoblins
JP110482
Yoshiiku
Yanaibashi Geisha at Restaurant Umekawa in Shinbashi
JPR-109804