Yamanaka, Kodo (1869 - 1945 )
Born in Tokyo in 1869 as Noburo Sato, Kodo Yamanaka worked as a popular artist of kuchi-e, frontispiece images for books and literary magazines. Today, scholars look to his book Usage of Illustration to learn about his medium and his peers. Kodo received a diverse education, studying Yoshitoshi Naohiko Kumagi, Hakudo Ishihara, Kogan Arihara, and Tekeuchi Keishu. In 1896, Kodo joined the newspaper Yomiuri Shinbum as and illustrator. Under the guidance of his teacher Keishu, he began to produce kuchi-e for the publisher Hakubunkan around 1900. Additionally, he completed Notebook of Mountains and Water (1901), a book of woodblock prints, as well as four prints for the literary magazine Bungei Kurabu. In 1901, he was a founding member of the artist association Ugokai, along with Kiyokata, Eiho, and other kuchi-e artists.
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.
1 Product
