Tomioka, Eisen (1864 - 1905 )
Eisen Tomioka was well attuned to the fashions and subtleties of the world around him. This sensitivity is reflected in his kuchi-e and sashi-e (front pieces for books and magazines, respectively). Born Tomioka Hidetaro in Shinshu (modern Nagano prefecture), Eisen was the oldest son of a retainer to the daimyo Matsushiro. At age 15, Eisen’s father passed away and the young artist set off to Tokyo to become a draftsman. In 1878, he worked for the office of the army general staff, yet shifted his focus to the study of painting in 1882. He continued his drafting job, but began to design kuchi-e, under the tutelage of Kano painter Eitaku Kobayashi.
Following the death of his teacher in 1890, Eisen Tomioka left the world of draftsmanship and became an independent artist. From 1892 forward, he was an overwhelmingly popular artist of sashi-e. From the Miyako shinbun, an eagerly read newspaper in Tokyo’s lowlands, to Shokokumin, another popular publication, the public hungered for Eisen’s delicate illustrations. He received commissions for books and single-sheet prints as well, and purportedly made a decent living from his artwork. Towards the end of his life, he received the silver award from the Japan Art Institute and Japan Painting Association joint exhibition. Though he shifted his focus to painting in his last years, Eisen Tomioka passed away before he could make his name as a painter.
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.
14 Products
Tomioka, Eisen
Woman Looking at Silhouette of a Prisoner
JP-92768
Tomioka, Eisen
Miyamagakure: Hidden in the Deep Mountains
JP-93136