UNESCO travelling exhibition: Japanese woodcuts

B I B L I O G R A P H I C A L NOTES 5-5. HISHIKAWA MORONOBU ( ? 1 6 1 8 - ? 9 4 ) - M o r o n o b u w a s t h e s o n o f a n embroidery c r a f t s m a n a t H o d a i n A w a P r o v i n c e ( n o w C h i b a P r e f e c t u r e ) . H e u s e d t h e "art- n a m e " Y ü c h i k u i n h i s l a t e r years. D u r i n g t h e M a n j i e r a (1658-60) h e p u b l i s h e d in E d o ( n o w T o k y o ) t h e first J a p a n e s e w o o d c u t p r i n t s o f g e n r e pictures, w h i c h w o n high f a v o u r a m o n g t h e citizens. H e is c a l l e d t h e f o u n d e r o f Uk i y o - e . T h e r e exist o n l y a f e w o f his s e p a r a t e p r i n t s , b u t w e f i n d m a n y o f h i s w o r k s i n illustrated books. H e was g o o d also a t b r u s h w o r k painting. 6. KAIGETSUDO DOHAN ( w o r k e d a b o u t 1714). D o h a n w a s o n e o f t h e l a t e r members o f t h e K a i g e t s u d o s c h o o l o f U k i y o - e artists a n d w a s d i s t i n g u i s h e d f o r h i s p r i n t s of b e a u t i f u l w o m e n a m o n g o t h e r K a i g e t s u d o s c h o o l m e n , w h o mo s t l y specialized in b r u s h p a i n t i n g s . H i s style, h o w e v e r , w a s t h a t p e c u l i a r t o t h i s school, characterized b y d e e p l y a c c e n t e d o u t l i n e d r a w i n g s o f s t a t u e s q u e girls i n profiles o f m a r k e d curves like a n S. 7. KAIGETSUDO DosHIN (early eighteenth century). Doshin, like Dohan, was a product of the Kaigetsudo school. His style is like t h a t o f other artists of the school, b u t is less bold a n d powerful. 8-9. T o R n KIYoNoBu T H E FIRST (1664-1729). Kiyonobu was born in Osaka, and went to E d o in 1687 with his father, Kiyomoto. T h e father worked for Kabuki theatres in Edo, painting their signboards, a n d became very popular. Kiyonobu followed the example o f his father, a n d his family line o f "theatre artists" has been continued to the present day. H e generally portrayed Kabuki actors, b u t h e also depicted beautiful women. His art, in free, animated brush strokes, was beautifully reproduced b y simple lines engraved o n wood blocks. io. ToRn KIYOMASU T H E FIRST ( 1 6 9 4 - 1 7 1 6 ) . Kiyomasu the First is said to have been the son o f T o n i Kiyonobu the First. H e learned his a r t from his father, but later established a distinctive style characterized b y the "gourd-shape legs" and "worm-like lines" in bold brush strokes. His a r t is distinguished for strong contours, even more powerful t h a n Kiyobonu's. i i . FURUYAMA MOROMASA ( e a r l y e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y ) . Moromasa was the son of F u r u y a m a Mo r o s h i g e . H e l e a r n e d a t first f r o m his f a t h e r , b u t i n his l a t e r y e a r s he a n d h i s followers a b a n d o n e d t h e style o f t h e H i s h i k a w a school, t o follow t h a t o f the T o n i school. 1 2 - 1 6 . OKUMU R A MASANOBU ( 1 6 8 6 - 1 7 6 4 ) - M a s a n o b u a s s u m e d v a r i o u s "art n a m e s " , s u c h a s H o g e t s u d o , T a n c h ö s a i a n d B u n k a k u . H e h a d n o t e a c h e r , but s t u d i e d t h e a r t o f T o n i K i y o n o b u , a n d e s t a b l i s h e d h i s o w n d i s t i n c t i v e s t y l e . H e was 21