A Brief Biography of Utagawa Kuniyoshi
The artist who was to be known to history as
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 国芳) was
born in
In 1814, Kuniyoshi ended his apprenticeship
and set out as an independent artist. He
initially produced actor prints in the style of his teacher, which gained him
little recognition. Kuniyoshi achieved a
commercial and artistic breakthrough in 1827 with the first six designs of the
series, The
108 Heroes of the Suikoden. The
series was bases upon a 14th century Chinese novel about the
adventures of a band of 108 honorable bandits and rebels.
In 1843, he designed the triptych, In Minamoto’s Residence the
Earth Spider Appears as a Monster, which satirized Mizuno Tadakuni, who was the chief councilor to the shogun,
and bore much of the responsibility for the strict censorship of ukiyo-e
prints. This triptych, which was printed
in several editions because of its popularity with the politically
dissatisfied, landed Kuniyoshi in trouble with the authorities.
Like his teacher, Kuniyoshi had many
students including Kyôsai (briefly), Yoshifuji, Yoshifusa, Yoshiharu, Yoshiiku, Yoshikage, Yoshikata, Yoshikatsu, Yoshikazu,
Yoshimori, Yoshimune, Yoshinao*, Yoshinobu*, Yoshitora,
Yoshitori, Yoshitoshi, Yoshitoyo*, Yoshitsuna, Yoshitsuya, and Yoshiyuki.
Kuniyoshi had a special fondness for cats, which overran his studio and
are portrayed in many of his prints.
Although Kuniyoshi is now universally known
as Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 国芳), he
also used the names Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi (一勇彩 国芳), Chô-ô-rô Kuniyoshi (朝櫻楼 国芳), Ikusa Kuniyoshi (井草 国芳), and
Saihôsa Kuniyoshi (採芳舎 国芳). He died from complications of a stroke on
April 14, 1861.
____________
*These names were used by unrelated print artists in the city of Ôsaka as well as by the Edo artists who studied with Kuniyoshi.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN PAGE
