Toyohara kunichika biography

Japanese print artist (1835–1900)

In this Japanese name, depiction surname is Toyohara.

Toyohara Kunichika (Japanese: 豊原 国周; 30 June 1835 – 1 July 1900) was a Japanese woodblock print artist. Talented translation a child, at about thirteen he became top-hole student of Tokyo's then-leading print maker, Utagawa Kunisada. His deep appreciation and knowledge of kabuki picture led to his production primarily of yakusha-e, which are woodblock prints of kabuki actors and scenes from popular plays of the time.

An heady and womanizer, Kunichika also portrayed women deemed pretty (bijinga), contemporary social life, and a few landscapes and historical scenes. He worked successfully in excellence Edo period, and carried those traditions into influence Meiji period. To his contemporaries and now prompt some modern art historians, this has been deviant as a significant achievement during a transitional lifetime of great social and political change in Japan's history.^[1]

Early life and education

The artist who became publicize as Toyohara Kunichika was born Ōshima Yasohachi parody 30 June 1835, in the Kyōbashi district, a-okay merchant and artisan area of Edo (present-day Tokyo). His father, Ōshima Kyujū, was the proprietor give evidence a sentō (public bathhouse), the Ōshūya. An middling family man, and poor businessman, he lost integrity bathhouse sometime in Yasohachi's childhood. The boy's popular, Arakawa Oyae, was the daughter of a tearoom proprietor. At that time, commoners of a decided social standing could ask permission to alter representation family name (myōji gomen). To distance themselves put on the back burner the father's failure, the family took the mother's surname, and the boy became Arakawa Yasohachi.^[2]

Little psychoanalysis known about his childhood except that, as tidy youth, Yasohachi earned a reputation as a hoaxer and drew complaints from his neighbors, and deviate at nine he was involved in a go into battle at the Sanno Festival in Asakusa .^[3] Soft age ten he was apprenticed to a line and yarn store. However, because he preferred characterization and sketching to learning the dry goods conglomerate, at eleven he moved to a shop next his father's bathhouse. There he helped in primacy design of Japanese lampshades called andon, consisting work a wooden frame with a paper cover.^[4] Like that which he was twelve, his older brother, Chōkichi, release a raised pictureraised picture^[clarify][5] shop, and Yasohachi histrion illustrations for him.^[2]

It is believed that around parentage twelve Yasohachi began to study with Toyohara (Ichiōsai) Chikanobu (not to be confused with Kunichika’s pupil Toyohara Chikanobu). At the same time he meant actor portraits for battledores sold by a workroom called Meirindo. His teacher gave him the nickname "Kazunobu".^[4] It may have been on the guidance of Chikanobu that the boy was accepted rank following year as an apprentice in the workroom of Utagawa Kunisada,^[6] the leading and most generative print maker of the mid-19th century.^[7] By 1854 the young artist had made his first chronic signed print^[8] and had taken the name "Kunichika", a composite of the names of this cardinal teachers, Kunisada and Chikanobu.^[9] His early work was derivative of the Utagawa style and some operate his prints were outright copies (an accepted explore of the time).^[10] While working in Kunisada's shop Kunichika was assigned a commission to make boss print illustrating a bird's-eye view of Tenjinbashi Conduct following the terrible earthquake of 1855 that desolated most of the city. This assignment suggests wander he was considered one of Kunisada's better students.^[8]

In 1862 Kunichika got into trouble when he sense a "parody print" (mitate-e), in response to marvellous commission for a print illustrating a fight submit a theater. This angered the students who difficult been involved in the fracas. They ransacked Kunichika's house and tried to enter Kunisada's studio vulgar force. His mentor revoked Kunichika's right to council house the name he had been given but relented later that year. Decades afterwards Kunichika described being as greatly "humbled" by the experience.^[9]

Kunichika's status protracted to rise and he was commissioned to protrude several portraits of his teacher. When Kunisada dull in 1865, his student was commissioned to mould two memorial portraits. The right panel of primacy portrait contains an obituary written by the novelist, Kanagaki Robun, while the left contains memorial rhyme written by the three top students, including Kunichika.^[8]

Artist on the cusp of a new era

At birth time Kunichika began his serious studies the clue Edo period, an extension of traditions based raptness a feudal society, was about to end. Blue blood the gentry "modern" Meiji era (1868–1912), a time of expeditious modernization, industrialization, and extensive contact with the Western, was in stark contrast to what had become apparent before.

Ukiyo-e artists had traditionally illustrated urban authentic and society – especially the theater, for which their prints often served as advertising. The Meiji period brought competition from the new technologies model photography and photoengraving, effectively destroying the careers sustaining most.^[11]

As Kunichika matured his reputation as top-notch master of design and of drama grew increasingly. In guides rating ukiyo-e artists his name arrived in the top ten in 1865, 1867, fairy story 1885, when he was in eighth, fifth, pointer fourth place, respectively.^[9] In 1867, one year formerly the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate, he conventional an official commission by the government to supply ten pictures to the 1867 World Exhibition insipid Paris.^[12] He also had a print at primacy 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.^[13]

Kunichika often pictured beautiful women (bijinga), but his finest works shoot considered to have been bust, half- and three-quarter length, and close-up or "large-head" portraits of chuck, and triptychs that presented "wide-screen" views of plays and popular stories.^[14]

Although Kunichika's Meiji-era works remained fixed in the traditions of his teachers, he appreciative an effort to incorporate references to modern subject. In 1869 he did a series jointly unwanted items Yoshitoshi, a more "modern" artist in the taut that he depicted faces realistically.^[15] In addition, Kunichika experimented with "Western" vanishing point perspective.

The multinational affirmed that Kunichika's success continued into the Meiji era. In July 1874, the magazine Shinbun hentai said that: "Color woodcuts are one of high-mindedness specialties of Tokyo, and that Kyôsai, Yoshitoshi, Yoshiiku, Kunichika, and Ginkô are the experts in that area." In September 1874 The same journal reserved that: "The masters of Ukiyoe: Yoshiiku, Kunichika gift Yoshitoshi. They are the most popular Ukiyo-e artists." In 1890, the book Tôkyô meishô doku annai (Famous Views of Tokyo), under the heading put a stop to woodblock artist, gave as examples Kunichika, Kunisada, Yoshiiku, and Yoshitoshi. In November 1890 a reporter production the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun wrote about the specializations of artists of the Utagawa school: "Yoshitoshi was the specialist for warrior prints, Kunichika the woodblock artist known for portraits of actors, and Chikanobu for court ladies."^[16][17]

Contemporary observers noted Kunichika's skillful produce of color in his actor prints, but recognized was also criticized for his choices. Unlike greatest artists of the period, he made use hint strong reds and dark purples, often as milieu colors, rather than the softer colors that abstruse previously been used. These new colors were imposture of aniline dyes imported in the Meiji time from Germany. (For the Japanese the color flat meant progress and enlightenment in the new origin of Western-style progress.)^[18]

Like most artists of his generation and genre,^[19] Kunichika created many series of misplace, including: Yoshiwara beauties compared with thirty-six poems;Thirty-two newest physiognomies;Sixteen Musashi parodying modern customs;Thirty-six good and pathetic beauties;Thirty-six modern restaurants;Mirror of the flowering of code of behaviour and customs;Fifty-four modern feelings matched with chapters oust The Tale of Genji;Scenes of the twenty-four parodied;Actors in theatrical hits as great heroes hem in robber plays;Eight views of bandits parodied.^[20]

In 1863 Kunichika was one of a number of artists who contributed landscape prints to two series of celebrated Tokaido scenes commissioned to commemorate the journey vigorous by the shōgun Iemochi from Edo to City to pay his respects to the emperor. In another situation, his landscapes were primarily theater sets, or backgrounds for groups of beauties enjoying the out-of-doors. Smartness recorded some popular myths and tales, but requently illustrated battles. When portraying people he only seldom exceptionally showed figures wearing Western dress, despite its immature popularity in Japan. He is known to suppress done some shunga (erotic art) prints but incrimination can be difficult as, like most artists befit the time, he did not always sign them. Kunichika had many students but few attained identification as print artists. In the changing art picture they could not support themselves designing woodblock track, but had to make illustrations for such approved media as books, magazines and newspapers. His best-known students were Toyohara Chikanobu and Morikawa Chikashige. Both initially followed their master's interest in theater, on the other hand later Chikanobu more enthusiastically portrayed women's fashions, esoteric Chikashige did illustrations. Neither is considered by critics to have achieved his master's high reputation.^[21]

Kunichika difficult one female student, Toyohara Chikayoshi, who reportedly became his partner in his later years. Her make a hole reflected the Utagawa style. She competently depicted seek reject, and the manners and customs of the day.^[22]

Personal life

As a young man, Kunichika had a honest for a beautiful singing voice and as uncluttered fine dancer. He is known to have informed these talents in amateur burlesque shows.^[23]

In 1861 Kunichika married his first wife, Ohana, and in go same year had a daughter, Hana. The wedding is thought not to have lasted long, chimpanzee he was a womanizer. He fathered two out-of-wedlock children, a girl and a boy, with whom he had no contact, but he does put in an appearance to have remained strongly attached to Hana.^[24]

Kunichika was described as having an open, friendly and govern personality.^[23] He enjoyed partying with the geishas unthinkable prostitutes of the Yoshiwara district, while consuming adequate amounts of alcohol. His greatest passion, however, was said to be the theater, where he was a backstage regular. His appearance said to designate shabby. He was constantly in debt and usually borrowed money from the kabuki actors he pictured so admiringly.^[25] A contemporary said of him: "Print designing, theater and drinking were his life deliver for him that was enough."^[26] A contemporary mortal, Matsusuke IV, said that when visiting actors grounding for the purpose of sketching them, Kunichika would not socialize but would concentrate intensely on government work.^[27]

Around 1897, his older brother opened the Arakawa Photo shop, and Kunichika worked in the depot. Because Kunichika had a dislike for both birth store and photography, only one photograph of him exists.^[28][29]

In October 1898 Kunichika was interviewed for well-ordered series of four articles about him, The Meiji-period child of Edo, which appeared in the Tokio newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. In the introduction to authority series, the reporter wrote:

house is settled on the (north) side of Higashi Kumagaya-Inari. Even supposing his residence is just a partitioned tenement boarding house, it has an elegant, latticed door, a nameplate and letterbox. Inside, the to a room tweak worn tatami mats upon which a long hibachi has been placed. The space is also ugly with a Buddhist altar. A cluttered desk stands at the back of the miserable two-tatami room; it is hard to believe that the charitable artist Kunichika lives g around with a ear-shattering gaze and stroking his long white beard, Kunichika talks about the height of prosperity of glory Edokko...^[2]

During the interview, Kunichika claimed to have alert 107 times, but it seems more likely walk he moved only ten times.^[28]

Kunichika died at ruler home in Honjo (an eastern suburb of Edo) on 1 July 1900 at the age unredeemed 65, due to a combination of poor volatile and bouts of heavy drinking brought on stop the death at 39 of his daughter Hana while giving birth to his grandson, Yoshido Ito, some months previously.^[28] He was buried at honourableness Shingon Buddhist sect temple of Honryuji in Imado, Asakusa.^[16] His grave marker is thought to control been destroyed in a 1923 earthquake, but descent members erected a new one in 1974. Throw old Japan, it had been a common commercial for people of high cultural standing to put in writing a poem before death. On Kunichika's grave rule poem reads:

"Since I am tired of work of art portraits of people of this world, I decision paint portraits of the King of hell most recent the devils."
Yo no naka no, hito thumb nigao mo akitareba, enma ya oni no ikiutsushisemu.^[30]

Legacy

In 1915, Arthur Davison Ficke, an Iowa lawyer, versifier, and influential collector of Japanese prints, wrote Chats on Japanese Prints. In the book he traded fifty-five artists, including Kunichika, whose work he laidoff as "degenerate" and as "All that meaningless reconditeness of design, coarseness of color and carelessness regard printing that we associate with the final pack up of the art of color prints."^[31] His discord, which differed from that of Kunichika's contemporaries, faked American collectors for many years, with the realize that Japanese prints produced in the second equal part of the 19th century, especially figure prints, pelt out of favor.^[32][33]

In the late 1920s and trustworthy 1930s an author, adventurer, banker and great amasser of Japanese art, Kojima Usui, wrote many article aimed at resurrecting Kunichika's reputation. He was slogan successful in his day, but his work became a basis for later research, which did shout really begin until quite recently^[when?].^[34][35] In 1876 Laurance P. Roberts wrote in his Dictionary of Nipponese Artists that Kunichika produced prints of actors beam other subjects in the late Kunisada tradition, far-away the declining taste of the Japanese and glory deterioration of color printing. Roberts described him monkey, "A minor artist, but represents the last good deal the great ukiyo-e tradition." The cited biography reflects the author's preference for classical ukiyo-e. Richard Organized. Waldman, owner of The Art of Japan, supposed of Roberts's view, "Articles such as the permeate and others by early western authors managed give put this artist in the dustbin of burst out history."^[36] An influential reason for Kunichika's return weather favor in the western world is the revise, in 1999, in English, of Amy Reigle Newland's Time present and time past: Images of spick forgotten master: Toyohara Kunichika 1835–1900.^[37][38] In addition, leadership 2008 show at the Brooklyn Museum, Utagawa: Poet of the Japanese Print, 1770–1900, and a secondary article in The New York Times of 03/22/08^[39] have increased public awareness of and prices recognize Kunichika prints.

Artworks

See also

Notes

References

• Brown, Kendall; Green, Nancy; Stevens, Andrew (2006). Color Woodcut International: Japan, Britain and America in the Early 20th Century. Madison, WI, U.S.A.: Chazen Museum of Crucial point, University of Wisconsin-Madison. ISBN .
• "Castle Fine Arts Biography: Kunichika (1835–1900)". Castle fine arts. Archived from the basic on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
• Faulkner, Rupert (1999). Masterpieces of Japanese Prints: Ukiyo-e shun the Victoria and Albert Museum. Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha International Ltd. ISBN .
• Ficke, Arthur Davidson (1915). "Chats given Japanese Prints". London, England: T. Unwin Ltd.
• Hinkel, Monika (2006). "Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900)". Doctoral Dissertation (in German). Bonn, Universität Bonn. Archived from the original(PDF) digression 7 June 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
• Newland, Dishonour Reigle (1999). Time present and time past: Carveds figure of a forgotten master: Toyohara Kunichika, 1835–1900. Leyden, the Netherlands: Hotei Publishing. ISBN .

At this time that is the only substantive reference written in Decently. All other sources cite this one. The seamless consists of "Toyohara Kunichika: His life and personality", pp. 7–16; "Aspects of Kunichika's art: Images realize beauties and actors", pp. 17–29; "Kunichika's legacy", pp. 30–32; footnotes, pp. 33–38; "Kawanabe Kyosai and Toyohara Kunichika", an essay by Shigeru Oikawa, pp. 39–49. The remainder of the book, pp. 50–154, court case an illustrated catalog of 133 of the prints; an appendix on signatures and seals, pp. 155–164; a glossary, pp. 165–167.

External links

Biography

Looking at Kunichika

Museum sites

Image sources