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This guide is given out free to

teachers and full-time students


with an exhibition ticket and ID
at the Education Desk and is
available to other visitors from
the RA Shop at a cost of £3.95
(while stocks last).
‘Kuniyoshi’s real distinction and importance lie in his entire attitude
towards his art: in the unusually large scope of his subject-matter, and
in his very distinctive treatment of the subject-matter … Probably no
From the Arthur R.Miller Collection other ukiyo-e artist ever attempted such a variety of subjects, and it
is very doubtful whether any other ukiyo-e artist managed to impress
The Sackler Wing of Galleries so much of his personality into his work as Kuniyoshi did.’
21 March – 7 June 2009 Suzuki Jûzõ, 1973

An Introduction to the Exhibition INTRODUCTION


for Teachers and Students ‘To make single sheet Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), one of the last great artists of the
prints of Kabuki actors,
prostitutes and geisha …
Edo period (1600–1868), is chiefly remembered for his skilfully drawn,
is detrimental to public action-packed warrior prints and wildly funny comic images. In fact, as we
Written by Mavis Pilbeam morals. It is forbidden to
shall see, he was prepared to take on any subject, and he is widely admired
sell either new examples
For the Education Department or existing stocks … Works for this versatility and his highly original, often eccentric, imagination.
© Royal Academy of Arts should be composed in
Moreover, a reading of the few surviving contemporary records suggests
accordance with loyalty
and fidelity, to promote that, as a result of government repression at the end of the Tenpõ era
Supported by virtue among children (1830–44), Kuniyoshi was driven to experiment even more widely with
and women … When new
examples are printed they new subjects and became something of a popular hero in his own lifetime.
must be presented to the Edo Japan was governed by the shogun, a military dictator who ruled
senior city official … to
receive his approval.’ in the name of the emperor. Government policy kept the country largely
Office of the North City cut off from the outside world and criticism was discouraged. The shogun’s
This exhibition has been organised Magistrate, 1842
by the Royal Academy of Arts government, called the shogunate, had always kept strict control of popular
in collaboration with
Arthur R. Miller and
printed materials. But by the nineteenth century, its real authority was
The British Museum weakening in the face of domestic and foreign challenges and further
‘It came to official notice measures were attempted to control the masses and promote moral
that the artist Kuniyoshi of behaviour. Senior Councillor Mizuno Tadakuni’s Tenpõ reforms of 1841–43
Shin-Izumichõ made
drawings for print designs restricted the daily lives of the townspeople in such areas as luxury items,
which gave rise to false religious practices and leisure activities. Kuniyoshi inevitably felt the effect
FRONT COVER
rumours. I was asked to
Cat.28 Asaina Saburõ
investigate his daily of these reforms. Again in 1853, when American ships sailed into Tokyo Bay
Yoshihide wrestles with two
crocodiles at Kotsubo beach,
behaviour and his appearing to threaten an invasion, Kuniyoshi’s artistic activities brought him
reputation.’
Kamakura, detail of left sheet
Collection of City under suspicion and he became the target of official ‘secret enquiries’.
American Friends of the British Prosecutions, 1853 An ukiyo-e artist’s life was not easy at this time.
Museum (The Arthur R.Miller
Collection) 19303

BACK COVER

Cat.92 Courtier Ariwara no KUNIYOSHI’S LIFE AND WORK


Narihira and his attendants
admire autumn leaves on the
Kuniyoshi was the son of a textile dyer, Yanagiya Kichiemon. The family lived
Tatsuta river, detail in the lively downtown district of Nihonbashi and he developed the generous,
American Friends of the British straightforward character of a typical Edokko (‘son of Edo’). Cats were one
Museum (The Arthur R.Miller
Collection) 10615 of his chief delights and he depicted them often, as can be seen in this
self-portrait, a detail from a triptych where he is painting Kabuki portraits
in the popular folk style named after the village of Õtsu (cat.129). Kuniyoshi
married twice and had two artist daughters who worked with him, as well as
several pupils. They were probably all with him when, after a stroke in 1855
followed by bouts of ill-health, he died at home, still in Nihonbashi, in 1861.
The names of over 40 pupils appear on a memorial stele raised to him
Designed by Isambard Thomas, London
Printed by Tradewinds Ltd in 1873.

1
Cat.129 (1542–1616). He set up a new capital at Edo (modern-day Tokyo). From small
Self-portrait painting
beginnings, Edo grew to be the largest city in the world by the eighteenth
Õtsu pictures, 1848
Colour woodblock, century. A large section of the population consisted of samurai warriors and
õban triptych
their families who were forced by law to spend half their time in the capital.
36.4 × 25.2 cm (centre sheet)
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge,
This benefited the merchants who served them so that many of these
given by T.H. Riches 1913 lower-class townsmen became very rich, with money and time to spare.
(P.3656-R)
Photo Fitzwilliam Museum, ‘Living only for the These people had their own tastes and interests, and new kinds of
Cambridge
moment, turning our full
entertainment and art developed to satisfy their needs. Kabuki theatres and
attention to the pleasures
of the moon, the snow, teahouses flourished, as did the Yoshiwara, the official pleasure quarter
the cherry blossoms and where they could enjoy music, dance, drinking and conversation with the
the maples, singing songs,
drinking wine, and female geisha entertainers, or if they could afford it, sexual pleasures with
diverting ourselves just oiran, high-class courtesans or prostitutes. This was a world where they could
in floating, floating,
caring not a whit for forget the problems of their everyday life and float along on a stream of
the poverty staring us in pleasure. It came to be called ukiyo, ‘Floating World’, and the paintings and
the face, refusing to be
disheartened, like a gourd, prints depicting these pleasures were called ukiyo-e, ‘Floating World pictures’.
floating along with the In particular the demand for woodblock prints grew because they could
river current: This is what
we call ukiyo.’ be produced in large numbers and, typically, cost little more than a
Asai Ryõi, Tales of the Floating double-helping of noodles. Skilled artists and craftsmen worked fast to keep
World, c.1661
up with the fashions – to show a celebrity actor in his latest role or a new
courtesan who was causing a sensation in the Yoshiwara. Techniques for
making full-colour prints were perfected in the 1760s and several outstanding
artists emerged, such as Kitagawa Utamaro (d.1806), renowned for his bijin
‘beautiful women’, and Tõshûsai Sharaku (fl.1794–95), celebrated for his
actor prints.

THE UKIYO-E QUARTET


Kuniyoshi taught himself to draw as a young boy and studied for Production of a single print was very labour intensive, involving the skills of
a time with Toyokuni I (1769–1825), the leading ukiyo-e artist of the day. four different specialists, sometimes described as the ‘ukiyo-e quartet’: the
His career had a slow start until he finally made his breakthrough with the artist, block-cutter, printer and publisher. The artist, like Kuniyoshi, first drew
warrior print series entitled ‘One of the 108 Heroes of the Popular Water a design in brush and ink. Kuniyoshi’s preliminary drawings are startling in
Margin’ (c.1827–30). He went on to design as many as 10,000 different their spontaneity. Corrections could be made to the drawings by pasting on
prints during his working life. One series of 51 designs sold a total of 408,000 a fresh piece of thin paper. Many examples of Kuniyoshi’s corrected drawings
sheets. Kuniyoshi was also interested in Western techniques of perspective survive. Once satisfied with the design, the artist copied it neatly onto very
and chiaroscuro (shading). He collected hundreds of Western pictures and thin paper and it could be shown to the official censor and stamped with
used Dutch models in some of his series in the 1840s. One of his best friends his small seal of approval.
and patrons was the poet Umenoya Kakuju, also called Sakichi (1801–65), The paper was then pasted face down onto a cherry-wood block, and all
who shared his sense of humour. Sakichi may well have organised a painting the cutting was done in reverse. The average Japanese print is approximately
party at a restaurant in 1853 at which Kuniyoshi was asked to make a vast 36 x 25 cm, the size limited by the width of a cherry-tree trunk. This is one
warrior painting spread over the floor. As a climax to the entertainment, reason why artists often produced diptychs (two sheets) or triptychs (three
he famously stripped off his cotton kimono and used it to paint in the sheets) to give themselves more space. Kuniyoshi made exciting artistic
finishing touches. innovations in the compositions of his triptychs, often linking the three
sheets with one large dynamic motif.
Next, the paper was rubbed with oil to make the lines of the design
UKIYO-E: ‘FLOATING WORLD PICTURES’ visible. Now the block-cutter took over, using a variety of knives, chisels
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the warring provinces of Japan and gouges to carve out the areas between the lines – including all the
were finally united under one military ruler, the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu inscriptions, signatures and seals. This was the first or ‘key’ block, and was

2 3
usually printed in black. The artist added instructions for colour WARRIORS
and special effects at this stage. Then a separate block was cut for Kuniyoshi’s warrior print series ‘One of the 108 Heroes of the Popular Water
every colour. Normally five blocks, each carved on both sides, Margin’ brought new life to the genre and with it he discovered a subject
were used to create a print. In order to ensure that each colour that would fascinate him for the rest of his life. He loved telling stories, both
printed in the right place, registration marks were made: a small historical and mythical, and warrior prints gave endless scope for his energy,
right-angle shaped corner mark and a short side-line were left love of dynamic line and colour, cunning composition and dramatic effects.
uncut at the same position on every block. On the whole the government was less strict in their censorship of
Next it was the printer’s turn, using kõzo, paper made from warrior prints. Even so, these images of valiant heroes from the past could
mulberry-tree fibres. The colours used were mainly mineral and be seen as subtly critical at a time when Japan was coming under threat from
vegetable pigments, mixed with water and slightly thickened with foreign powers. There was also a ban on the depiction of any heroes who
rice paste. By Kuniyoshi’s time, Prussian blue, a strong chemical lived after 1573. This was because the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
pigment that does not fade, was being used to striking effect. had consolidated power by defeating the descendants of a previous military
Colour was brushed onto the block, the paper was carefully laid on Fig.1 leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536–98). Hideyoshi remained popular with
Model of woodblock
within the registration marks, then rubbed firmly with a flat printer’s pad many ordinary people, including Kuniyoshi, who sometimes retold such
printmakers at work: in the
called a baren (fig.1). This was made of a tight coil of bamboo rope inside foreground a printer uses historical events by using equivalent heroes and situations from the far
a baren; in the background
a shallow dish, covered with a bamboo leaf that was twisted across the back distant past, which were then deciphered with some glee by the public.
a block-cutter cuts a block,
to form a grip. Skilled printers used various techniques to make special c.1890s
effects, such as coaxing a small amount of pigment onto a dampened block © V&A Images / Victoria and Albert Cat. 7 The Water Margin (Suikoden) stories first came to Japan in the early
Museum, London
to produce gradations of colour, especially in the sky and background. eighteenth century from China where they had already been popular for
Finally it was up to the publisher to make sure the prints were sold. many centuries. They are tales of Chinese outlaws who live in Liangshan
Usually several hundred were printed at any one time, but further editions marsh, from where they make attacks on other bands of brigands, fighting
could be made if the print proved popular. If the publisher had judged the against injustice. The exotic characters appealed to a number of Japanese
market well and chosen a topical or striking subject, they could make artists, including Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), and Kuniyoshi was
a good profit. encouraged to start his own dazzling series in the late 1820s when Suikoden
was at the height of its popularity. He often combined Western-style and
Chinese-style elements and also featured tattoos, which subsequently
WHAT TO LOOK FOR became popular among gangsters and firemen in Edo. They still provide
Japanese writing was traditionally read from right to left, and this also applied the model for full-body tattooing in Japan today.
to looking at pictures, especially triptychs. Until the late nineteenth century, In this print the Liangshan band is attacking its enemies in Hangzhou
Japanese artists rarely used Western-style techniques of perspective and city, and their leader, Zhang Shun, has smashed his way through the Yongjin
chiaroscuro. Great attention was paid to the use of line, the placing of objects water gate. The first impression is of complete chaos. As with many Kuniyoshi
on the page and the careful choice of colour, patterning and special effects. prints, we can almost hear the sound of whizzing arrows, cracking timbers
Objects in the distance were simply placed progressively higher up the page. and clanging bells. There is violent movement in the conspicuous black
Most prints are a combination of image and calligraphy, all printed from fragments of the shattered gate bound by a whirling tangle of shredded
the block. The Japanese writing system uses a combination of complicated cords of the alarm bells, criss-crossing of arrows and swirling water. A hint
Chinese-style characters called kanji combined with a simpler phonetic script. of stability is provided by the solid stone wall.
Many of the prints have titles, poems, stories or explanations in carefully Zhang Shun’s fury is demonstrated by his distorted limbs pulling in four
chosen cartouches or frames, and people’s names are often scattered about, directions at once. His sinewy arms and legs, especially the outsize feet with
usually in red boxes: all are included as an integral part of the design. vigorously curling toes, the bright red of his loin-cloth and the eye-catching
Japanese artists used a number of names. As a child, Kuniyoshi’s given tattoo, all combine to give an impression of boundless energy. The tattoo
name was Yoshisaburõ. When he joined the Utagawa School of ukiyo-e he design includes a waterfall and vines and also pine trees, which in Japan
took the formal name of Kuniyoshi. He used this to sign his prints, preceded signify strength. A snake curls down his left arm. Its baleful eye can be seen
by the gõ or art name of Ichiyûsai (‘most brave studio’) or Chõõrõ (‘morning just under Zhang Shun’s chin, and the red flash across his chest may well be
cherry tower’). He used two seals, first the toshidama ring-seal of the a flame hissing from its mouth. The two faces dominate this print. The curving
Utagawa School and from 1844 the yoshikiri paulownia flower. Most jaw and grinning teeth of the stylised lion’s head above the gate are echoed
prints also have a small publisher’s trade mark and many have the censor’s by Zhang Shun’s lips and teeth gripping the lethal sword blade. Eyebrows,
stamp of approval. eyes and curling nostrils are all repeated to terrifying effect.

4 5
Cat.7 Zhang Shun started his outlaw career as a ferryman, and the
The Chinese warrior Zhang
bottom-right inscription states that ‘his skin is as white as snow and he can
Shun smashes a water gate,
1827–30 float in water effortlessly for a distance of 40 to 50 li [about 100–120 miles]’.
Colour woodblock, õban
His nickname is ‘White leaper in the waves’. In spite of his furious strength,
37.2 × 25.1 cm
American Friends of the British
Zhang Shun later dies of his wounds.
Museum (The Arthur R. Miller
Collection) 10043
How does Kuniyoshi emphasise the strength of his hero?

Cat.28 This outlandish image illustrates an episode that is said to have taken
place around the year 1200 on the beach at Kamakura, a town on Sagami
Bay to the south of present-day Tokyo. At the command of the shogun
Minamoto Yoriie (1182–1204), the strongman Asaina engaged in a wrestling
match with another warrior called Wada Shinzaemon-no-jõ Tsunemori. The
story is retold in the inscription, top right, by a poet, Õtei Umehiko. During
the match, Asaina rode into the sea on his white horse, and excitement
mounted when one of its legs was seized by a crocodile and Asaina leapt
into the sea and disappeared beneath the waves. However, he soon
reappeared with a crocodile under each arm and dragged them to the shore.
In this print he further shows his prowess by grappling with the creatures
at close quarters, while the spectators shout and wave encouragement from
a safe distance.
The overall structure of this print is based on a masterly contrast between
serenity and violent activity. First, on the right, Mount Fuji rises calmly in the
distance, surveying the scene in a way that recalls Hokusai’s famous print
known as The Great Wave (fig.2). The waves, too, remind us of Hokusai’s
print where boatmen face a different kind of danger in the stormy sea.
Kuniyoshi draws the eye into the main action with the red glow of dawn
along the horizon, which leads to an outcrop of rock where the onlookers

Fig.2
KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI
Under the Wave
off Kanagawa
From the series Thirty-six
Views of Mount Fuji
1830–33
Colour woodblock, õban
25.8 x 37.9 cm
© The Trustees of The
British Museum. JA 2008.3008.1,
acquired with the assistance of
The Art Fund

6 7
are perilously perched. The unnatural angle of this rock in turn brings the Cat. 28 slithering towards him with jaws grinningly agape. The skins of the two
Asaina Saburõ Yoshihide
eye in an opposite diagonal down to Asaina’s right foot, while the beasts are intricately patterned with a variety of scales, blotches and
wrestles with two
attacking crocodiles sweep in at right angles to this line. Kuniyoshi crocodiles at Kotsubo armour-like plates.
beach, Kamakura, 1849
is indeed a master of structure!
Colour woodblock,
Eyes haunt us in this print: a separate block must have been cut for õban triptych How does colour contribute to the fantastical atmosphere?
the evil yellow of the monsters’ eyes, and Asaina, while dealing with the 35.7 × 25.2 [L], 35.4 × 25.4 [C],
36.3 × 25.6 [R] cm How does this print demonstrate Kuniyoshi’s skilful use of line?
sinister finned crocodile, already has his eyes fixed on the second assailant American Friends of the British
Museum (The Arthur R. Miller
Collection) 19303

8 9
Cat.18 Cat.18 Sakata Kaidõ-maru is a popular legendary Japanese hero. He is often
Sakata Kaidõ-maru wrestles
depicted as a child, affectionately known as Kintarõ, with his mother, the old
with a giant carp, c.1837
Colour woodblock, õban hag of Mount Ashigara. The inscription here, bottom left, tells how she gave
37.8 × 26 cm
birth to him ‘after she saw him pass by in a dream with a red dragon’.
American Friends of the British
Museum (The Arthur R. Miller He grew to be a warrior of unmatched valour, a follower of Minamoto
Collection) 21215
no Yorimitsu (d.1021), whose successor became Japan’s first shogun.
This episode of the fight with a carp was invented to emphasise the
boy’s strength. In the natural world, the carp leaps up waterfalls, and in
Japan it symbolises valour. Carp streamers, called koinobori, are still flown
around Boys’ Day, on 5 May, to encourage young sons to be courageous
in overcoming life’s difficulties. Thus, a victory over this strongest of fish
would be especially significant for our child-hero.
Fierce action is emphasised by the strong vertical design of the figures
against the falling water, the two bodies curving in parallel, and the tail
following the splashing water in a vital upward movement. Energetic white
spray dots the scene. The boy’s extraordinary strength is always emphasised
in pictures by his bright red colour. The determined set of his mouth suggests
that he is on his way to victory in this unusual sumo-wrestling match.
The carp, too, seems almost human; with the despairing expression of its
downcast eye and its detached flailing front fins, it seems to be giving up.

In this strong, comparatively simple print, how does Kuniyoshi


suggest the delicacy of the water?

How does Kuniyoshi incorporate his signature into the action


of the print?

Cat.25 This blood-curdling triptych is regarded by many as Kuniyoshi’s finest


work. It tells the story of a tenth-century warrior hero, Õya no Tarõ Mitsukuni
and his companion (seen here), who are sent to destroy the power of an evil
sorceress, Princess Takiyasha. She is the daughter of another warlord, Taira
no Masakado (d.940), who opposed the true emperor in Kyoto and set up
a rival court in Sõma. Now the princess and a handful of followers are the
only survivors, alone in the ruined palace. She summons up this terrifying
skeleton, but Mitsukuni finally succeeds in overcoming her and the rest of
Masakado’s followers. Legends about such historical figures often emerged to
underline their strength, bravery and skill. The tales certainly captured
Kuniyoshi’s imagination.
Kuniyoshi uses the full space of the triptych to dramatic effect. The
hideous skeleton rears out of the dark void on the right, tearing his way
through the reed blind. The skeleton contrasts strongly with the cold, static
beauty of the princess who stands next to a crumbling wall on the left. There
is contrast also in the depiction of the two warriors: one bravely faces the
spectre, although the giant bony hand almost clamps his head; the other
warrior crouches with a terror-struck face and appears to be pinned down by
the monster’s elbow. We can almost hear its hollow cackle and the eerie
swish of the blind as it sweeps from left to right unifying the whole

10 11
composition in a strong diagonal. Violence and surprise are further suggested Cat.25 ‘Kuniyoshi … stands by Can you guess which of the warriors is the hero Mitsukuni, and why?
Mitsukuni defies the himself; he breaks free from
by the scattered fragments of blue silk from the reed blind and the samurai How does Kuniyoshi suggest both the vulnerability and the strength
skeleton spectre conjured his school, and in his own
helmet and piece of armour lying discarded on the floor. A point to note is up by Princess Takiyasha, province, the dramatic, rises of the two warriors?
1845–46 to great heights.’
the anatomical accuracy of the skeleton, which suggests that Kuniyoshi had
Colour woodblock, Written in 1908 by Laurence First look at each sheet of the triptych separately, then consider the
probably been looking at imported European medical books. õban triptych Binyon, curator at the British
37.2 × 25.3 [L], 37 × 25.3 [C], Museum from 1893–1934
problems of designing a triptych and finally examine how Kuniyoshi
37.2 × 25.1 [R] cm combines the three sections in a dynamic unified whole.
The British Museum,
JA 1915.8-23.0915, 0916

12 13
BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
Beautiful women were always the favoured subject of Floating World art.
Kuniyoshi was inspired by Utamaro, who had established an ideal of female
beauty from the high-ranked courtesan down to the lowliest working girl.
Most of the women have long straight noses and small mouths. Individual
character is subtly suggested by the hold of the head or the direction of the
gaze, and also the choice of finely patterned robes. The Tenpõ reforms
banned prints of courtesans, geisha and even virtuous women if they wore
‘contemporary fashions’. But the series ‘Pride of Edo: Comparison of Famous
Products’, illustrated here, seems to have been acceptable. Kuniyoshi also
produced about 30 vertical hanging scroll paintings of women.

Cat. 59 Cat.59 This is one of a set of seven prints of beautiful women representing
Woman blowing the coals
famous tourist spots in Edo. As in most portrait prints there is no background
of a stove, c.1844
Colour woodblock, chûban detail, but the place is suggested here by the wisteria flowers. The cartouche
25.5 × 18.6 cm
is in the shape of paulownia blossoms (like Kuniyoshi’s seal below his
American Friends of the British
Museum (The Arthur R. Miller signature) and contains a picture of the drum bridge at the Kameido Tenjin
Collection) 01501
Shrine on the east bank of the Sumida River. Tenjin was the courtier poet
Sugawara no Michizane (845–903) who was deified after his death. People
still like to gather at his shrine in the early summer to drink tea and admire
the wisteria flowers.
The woman is probably a popular tea-stall waitress. She is kneeling,
blowing through a pipe to stir her charcoal stove to life in a pose borrowed
from Utamaro. She is concentrating hard with fixed eyes and puffed-out
cheeks and also holds a pair of tongs like long metal chopsticks.
Japanese female dress favoured a subtle combination of decorative
textiles rather than jewellery, so it is always worth taking a careful look at the
kimono designs. The woman wears a simple grey and blue striped kimono
with blue lining. She also has a blue robe with chrysanthemum design, and
we have seductive glimpses of her red under-kimono. To complement these
she has chosen a pale mauve obi (long, wide sash) with a design of stylised
waves and small shore-birds called plovers. The cloth slung over her shoulder
has another popular design of pine, cherry and bamboo (known in Chinese
and Japanese art as ‘The Three Gentlemen’). Even though we are seeing her
from the side-front, Kuniyoshi has taken care to reveal the nape of her neck,
which was regarded as an erotic part of the body: the kimono collar stands
away displaying the soft hair. Hairstyles were intricate with an array of combs,
hairpins and braids, and the delicate hairline has been carved to perfection.

How does Kuniyoshi use colour to unify the design?

Rather than using chiaroscuro (shading) to show volume, how does


Kuniyoshi suggest the solidity of the body inside the clothes?

14 15
LANDSCAPES
Ukiyo-e artists began to produce cityscapes of Edo from the 1760s. A few
years later woodblock-illustrated travel guides also began to appear reflecting
a growth in travel among all sections of society in a country that was
prosperous and at peace. Kuniyoshi was encouraged to design landscapes by
the outstanding success of the famous print series by Hokusai (‘Thirty-Six
Views of Mount Fuji’, 1830–33) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
(‘Fifty-Three Stations of the Tõkaidõ Road’, 1833–34). Many of Kuniyoshi’s
landscapes, however, show the influence of European-style works of the
Dutch school (Dutch traders were the only Europeans allowed to enter Japan,
bringing with them information about many aspects of the outside world).
Kuniyoshi also deeply appreciated the lyrical beauty of the natural world as
we can see illustrated here in his unique series of classical poetic landscapes,
‘One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets’, a serious and uplifting subject
that must have pleased the censors.

Cat.92 This print illustrates the strong links between the Japanese arts of Cat.92
Courtier Ariwara no
poetry, calligraphy, painting and printmaking, as well as the ease with which
Narihira and his attendants
artists drew on the distant past for their subject matter. In the 1230s the poet admire autumn leaves on
the Tatsuta river, c.1842
and scholar Fujiwara no Teika (1162–1241) made a selection of one hundred
Colour woodblock, õban
of the best poems written by one hundred poets (called Hyakunin isshu) 36.8 × 25.3 cm
surveying the whole period between the seventh century and his own time. American Friends of the British
Museum (The Arthur R. Miller
The poems are all in tanka form: they have 31 syllables arranged in five lines Collection) 10615

of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables and the collection has remained one of the best-loved
works of literature in Japan to this day. In 1833, a new edition was published
in Osaka and so, 600 years on, we find Kuniyoshi taking advantage of this
Hyakunin isshu ‘boom’ to launch his own print series.
This image shows Ariwara no Narihira (825–80), one of the Thirty-Six
Immortal Poets, who featured in many paintings and works of literature.
The poem appears with title and commentary in a cartouche at the top
right-hand corner. It reads:

Chihayaburu Unheard of
kamiyo mo kikazu even in the legendary age
Tatsutagawa of the awesome gods:
karakurenai ni Tatsuta River in scarlet
mizu kuguru to wa and the water flowing under it.

Narihira stands at the water’s edge lost in wonder at the scene more
beautiful than anything ever seen before, even by the gods. He wears the
dress of a courtier of the Heian period (794–1185), kosode (robe), hakama
(wide trousers) and eboshi (courtier’s hat). His attendants kneel respectfully
on their bare feet beside him in an elegantly constructed group. In Japan
there has always been a strong awareness of the passing of the seasons:
momojigari, ‘viewing the autumn leaves’, is still a popular seasonal pastime.
Most admired of all are the striking red leaves of the autumn maples seen
here. Their brilliance contrasts with the subtle tones of the robes and the far

16 17
river bank. Indeed, the river looks like a swathe of exquisite kimono silk,
ornamented with thousands of scarlet leaves borne along by the current
in an endlessly changing, shining stream. One attendant has to raise his
hand to shield his eyes from the dazzling sunlight playing on the water.
The rushing movement is accentuated by the statuesque stillness of Narihira
as he silently contemplates the scene. How will he be able to tear himself
away and move on?

How does this print illustrate the difference between


Western and Eastern approaches to perspective?

How does Kuniyoshi capture the autumnal atmosphere?

THEATRE
Edo’s three Kabuki theatres were the most popular amusement of the
town and Kabuki actors were the big celebrities of the time. The plays
were mainly about well-known historical characters or doomed lovers.
Performances were (and still are) renowned for their spectacular costumes,
make-up and stage effects, larger-than-life gestures and poses, vigorous,
often violent action, onstage musicians and graceful dances. The actors were
all men: female-role specialists called onnagata were especially celebrated.
Kabuki was dominated by a small number of lineages of acting names passed
on from generation to generation, such as Ichikawa Danjûrõ and Onoe
Cat.108 drawing we have an unusual glimpse of Kuniyoshi using his brush freely –
Kikugorõ. Many of these names have survived to the present day. Kuniyoshi Kabuki actor Ichikawa
experimenting, correcting, clarifying details of pose and gesture, face and
had close links with the actors as he was one of the main artists of Kabuki Ebizõ V as the pirate Kezori
Kuemon, 1840 wig and textile design.
prints. Everyone with connections to the theatre suffered the effects of Colour woodblock, õban
The pirate leans threateningly out of the frame towards the viewer,
the Tenpõ reforms. 37.7 × 25.4 cm
Jeffrey Pollard and Ooi-Thye Chong
an effect achieved by the three slanting parallel lines of the body (sides and
Collection, USA centre) and the hands planted firmly on the hips. The actor’s wildly bristling
Cats 108 and 109 Ichikawa Ebizõ V (formerly Danjûrõ VII), pictured here
wig in the typical sea-farer hairstyle (kusetsuki), dark-red face, the beard
with his large eyes and fierce stage glare – a speciality of the Danjûrõ lineage
Cat.109 emphasising his narrow jaw line and jutting chin, his long thin nose and
– was one of the most famous people in Edo in the mid-nineteenth century. Preparatory drawing for the
clenched teeth and the two simple curved lines around the mouth all suggest
His love of luxury and show brought him into conflict with the authorities and print Ichikawa Ebizõ V as
Kezori Kuemon, 1840 a character of unremitting determination. His richly embroidered silk damask
he was even exiled from Edo for seven years after 1842, which he passed Ink and slight colour on paper
Chinese-style jacket with the exotic touches of pleated ruff, heavy cuffs and
mainly acting in Osaka. 31.5 × 22.1 cm
Jeffrey Pollard and Ooi-Thye Chong
buttons must have appealed to the contemporary audience. Two dragons
Here Ebizõ V plays the role of Kezori Kuemon, a villainous pirate captain Collection, USA glare menacingly from the shoulders while their bodies snake across the
and smuggler, in a play called Koi minato Hakata no hitofushi (Haven of
chest and down the arms ending in fierce blue claws side by side with
Love: A Hakata Piece). Hakata is a port in Kyushu, south-west Japan, an area
Kuemon’s pale fingernails. Waves curl among their bodies, but the stylised
which had been plagued by pirates since the time the play was first written in
rocks at waist level give stability and power.
1719 by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, one of Japan’s greatest playwrights. The
The drawing was originally pasted into an album that contained some
story tells of a young merchant, Komatsuya Sõshichi, who is travelling on
50 sketches. The albums, probably about 60 in number, may have been
Kuemon’s ship to Hakata to meet his lover, the courtesan Kojorõ. But
used as a reference by Kuniyoshi during his lifetime, or kept as a record
Kuemon suspects him of spying on his smuggling activities and has him
by some of his pupils after his death.
thrown overboard.
When we compare the preparatory drawing with the finished print,
List all the differences you can see between the preparatory drawing
there is a striking contrast between, on the one hand, the energy of line and,
and the final print. Which do you prefer and why?
on the other, the solidity of form and startling colour combinations. In the
How might you guess that this is an actor playing a role?
18 19
HUMOUR It is not certain whether Kuniyoshi intended this work as a criticism
Kuniyoshi had an unfailing sense of humour that he expressed in different of Mizuno Tadakuni’s Tenpõ reforms, but surviving documents describe its
kinds of prints. Some of the prints are signed ‘Kuniyoshi giga’ (‘playfully powerful impact. The bodyguard on the right, Urabe no Suetake, was
drawn by Kuniyoshi’). In his comic animal prints, the animals often identified with the much-hated Mizuno: they both happened to have the
impersonate humans. His kyõga (‘crazy pictures’) were as popular as same family crest, the water plantain. The sick Yorimitsu was seen as the
Hiroshige’s landscapes in the Tenpõ era, quite like the fashion for kyõka weak shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi (ruled 1837–53). Viewers then identified
(‘crazy verse’ written by amateurs in poetry clubs). Most sophisticated of the different demons with jobs and categories affected by the reforms. The
all were the hanji-mono (‘riddle pictures’) which, in times of government government was quick to inflict punishments on artists and publishers who
repression, provided a coded way of commenting on current affairs. Much produced politically sensitive materials, though on this occasion Kuniyoshi
of his comedy is fresh and innovative, but he also drew on traditional and his publisher, Ibaya Senzaburõ, avoided trouble since Ibaya sensed
Japanese expression, such as the grotesque humour of the medieval Hyakki danger, withdrew the prints and destroyed the blocks. Others who produced
yagyõ (Night Procession of the Hundred Demons), with the demons conjured pirated editions of this work were fined heavily and spent periods in
up by the Earth Spider rioting through the mansion of Minamoto no Raikõ. handcuffs – a humiliating punishment for an artist.
Cat.124 Kuniyoshi uses contrasts to powerful effect: contrasts of the elegant
The Earth Spider conjures
Cat.124 This action-packed triptych was one of Kuniyoshi’s most famous and grotesque, control and chaos, silence and pandemonium. The image
up demons at the mansion
works in his own time and can be seen as one of Japan’s first political of Minamoto no Raikõ is divided diagonally with the Earth Spider dominating and linking the two
cartoons. It illustrates a story from the eleventh century. The sick warrior hero (original edition), 1843 worlds. The samurai world is one of courtly elegance. They relax in sumptuous
Colour woodblock,
Minamoto no Yorimitsu (or Raikõ, d.1021) rests on his bed watched over by õban triptych silks surrounded by luxurious accessories and furniture. Sadamitsu on the left
four bodyguards. Unseen by them, he is approached by the evil Earth Spider 35.8 × 24.3 [L], 35.8 × 24.7 [C], has a fan and holds a cup of green tea in the polite way. Yorimitsu lolls on
35.8 × 24.9 [R] cm
who conjures up a battle of rival demons to disturb his sleep. Earth Spiders a futon covered by a rich quilt, using a padded elbow-rest. His sword lies
Victoria and Albert Museum,
were a mythical wild race, half-man, half-spider, which were believed to live London, E.10535-1886 peacefully on a sword-stand. On a lacquered table stands a small rabbit
Photo © V&A Images / Victoria
deep in mountain caves. and Albert Museum, London ornament (1843 was the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac). The
only conflict here is in the game of go, which requires silent,
grim concentration. Yet the other two bodyguards gaze round
uneasily sensing an evil presence.
Above Yorimitsu’s expressionless face the clawed Earth Spider
bursts from his web to summon his armies. He brings hideous
deformity, earsplitting screeching – every mouth gapes open – and
wild movement. Kuniyoshi individualises every one of the 50 or so
monsters. The right is dominated by the snake-necked figure and
the cook with his rice spoon. An oni demon brandishes a builder’s
trowel; another snakehead ‘beauty’ shakes a closed parasol in the
rear. In the midst of it all, we see a horse with a widely whinnying
mouth and the domed head of Fukurokuju, one of the Seven Lucky
Gods. To the left a red-robed Daruma, founder of Zen Buddhism
with his great gold earrings, urges on the attack, an elephant at
his side. A man is wearing his head upside-down; a lantern has
sprouted arms. The two armies fly at each other brandishing
outlandish weapons and banners in a spoof of a samurai battle,
while the real samurai do battle on a go board.

Make a descriptive list of all the demons you can spot.


How has Kuniyoshi made them all individual and why
do you think he has done this?

What aspects of Kuniyoshi’s skill as an artist are


demonstrated in this print?

20 21
Cat.122 Cat.122 The octopus has long been a popular and versatile delicacy in
Octopus games, 1840–42
Japanese cuisine. It can be boiled, grilled, and, perhaps best of all, eaten raw
Colour woodblock, õban
36.7 × 24.4 cm as takozushi. With this in mind it is not surprising to find Kuniyoshi serving up
American Friends of the British octopus in a number of human guises. Kuniyoshi probably did not know
Museum (The Arthur R. Miller
Collection) 21402 about octopuses’ highly-developed brains and powerful vision, but he shows
them acting and reacting in a very human way. Octopuses have eight arms
attached directly to their heads, with two rows of suckers on each, and they
use them to grab objects and to walk along the sea-floor. Kuniyoshi adapts
this physique to make hilariously convincing figures. With just a few lines
around the eyes he makes the faces endlessly expressive, even without
mouths, rather like precursors of the popular British animated character,
Gromit. An added touch of comedy is the use of sweet potato leaves for
hats, weapons and fans.
The page has fourteen figures arranged in five groups. Top right is a
group of three entertainers – a tight-rope walking gymnast, a musician and
an announcer. The gymnast wears only a knotted hachimaki sweatband. The
musician takes advantage of his eight limbs to perform as a one-man band
with instruments such as a drum and shamisen, a three-stringed instrument
with its three tuning pegs clearly visible. The announcer, in indigo and green
kimono, flourishes a fan bearing the character for tako, ‘octopus’. The two
figures in the top left form the next group. They represent the warrior-monk
Benkei and the hero Ushiwaka-maru (or Minamoto Yoshitsune, 1159–89) in
their famous contest on the Gojõ bridge in Kyoto. Benkei was a giant of a
man who vowed to gather 1000 weapons by fighting every warrior who tried
to cross the bridge. He had collected 999 when the slim youth Ushiwaka
appeared. Using his superior swordsman’s skills, Ushiwaka easily defeated the
giant, who became his lifelong follower. Here the ends of Benkei’s octopus
arms coil round his spear, looking almost like hands. Below the gymnast a
street-vendor sells sweets to two eager children. One has a delightful pattern
of origami paper-folded samurai helmets on his kimono. The old crone’s
hands are withdrawn almost elegantly into the sleeves of her kimono. She
is the only figure here with a mouth, full of crooked teeth. She seems to be
calling her wares, ‘Oman-ga-ame’, written in conspicuous blue letters to
the right. On their left is a group of three men performing Suzumi-odori,
the Sparrow dance, with great verve, their festival hats firmly tied with cords.
Finally, two sumo wrestlers face up to each other watched by the umpire
with leaf fan. Each wrestler uses all eight arms – to balance firmly, to grab
his opponent and to try to trip him up. Who will be toppled first?

Examine the masterly way Kuniyoshi places the different scenes


on the page. How does he separate each group?

Kuniyoshi’s main aim is to make us laugh. List the methods he


uses to do this.

22 23
CONCLUSION
With the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the shogunate fell, the emperor was
restored to full power and Japan started to modernise and become actively
involved in the outside world. Two of Kuniyoshi’s best pupils recorded this
tumultuous time. Kawanabe Kyõsai (1831–89) had only studied briefly with
Kuniyoshi as a child of six, but he took on his fertile imagination and fearless
approach to life and worked with great originality and crazy wit. Tsukioka
Yoshitoshi (1839–92) shared Kuniyoshi’s enthusiasm, skill in draughtsmanship
and interest in heroic subjects. He is sometimes seen as the last of the true
ukiyo-e print artists as machine printing and photography increasingly
took over.
As with works by Hokusai and Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi’s prints were avidly Retreating into
a shadowy corner,
collected by European artists such as Vincent Van Gogh (1853–90) and
cherry blossoms falling.
Edouard Manet (1832–83). With several others, they were involved in the Death poem by Kuniyoshi,
1861
Japonisme movement, using Japanese print design techniques to renew and
invigorate their work. In Britain, 100 years after Kuniyoshi’s death, the scholar
Basil Robinson recognised his excellence and published two important books
in 1961 and 1982. Since then, scholars all around the world have been
rediscovering this most bold, adaptable and hilarious of artists.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Timothy Clark, Kuniyoshi: From the Arthur R.Miller Collection,
exh. cat., Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2009

Marius B.Jansen (ed.), The Cambridge History of Japan,


vol.5, Cambridge, 1989

Basil Robinson, Kuniyoshi, London, 1961

Basil Robinson, Kuniyoshi: The Warrior Prints, Oxford, 1982

Robert Schaap (ed.), Heroes and Ghosts: Japanese Prints


by Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), Amsterdam and Philadelphia, 1998

Visit www.royalacademy.org.uk / exhibitions /kuniyoshi


to find out about some caricatures of Kabuki actors by Kuniyoshi.

Cat. 124
The Earth Spider conjures
up demons at the mansion
of Minamoto no Raikõ
(original edition), detail

24

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