UNESCO travelling exhibition: Japanese woodcuts

active as a n Ukiyo-e artist from the end of the Genroku era (1688-1 703) a n d also 34-36. ISODA KORYÜSAI (middle eighteenth century). Koryusai was born o f a Samura engaged, from 1724 t o 1740, in wholesale publication o f illustrated story books. H e family. H e is said to have been a pupil o f Nishimura Shigenaga, b u t this is uncertain. contributed to the progress of woodcut printing technique b y inventing new devices H e was greatly influenced b y the a r t o f Suzuki Harunobu, b u t his style was more i n the methods o f Urushi-e a n d Benizuri-e. H e excelled a t portrayal o f Ka b u k i actors realistic. Cinnabar was a favourite colour with him. a n d a t depicting beauties. 37-40. IPPITSUSAl BUNCHO (middle eighteenth century). BunchO a t first learned the 17. OKUMURA TOSHINOBU (early eighteenth century). Toshinobu was a pupil o f KanO style of brush painting from a certain rshikawa, b u t later specialized in Ukiyo-e, Ok umu r a Masanobu. His " a r t names" were Kakugetsudö a n d Bunzen. His works His style is a peculiar one, acute b u t delicate. H e was the first m a n to make Xigao-e are Urushi-e a n d characterized b y his distinctive sharp style a n d soft colour tones. ("likeness pictures") o f Kabuki actors which portrayed their individual features, while older "actor portraits" were all similar to one another. 18. NIsHIMuRA SHIGENAGA (died in 1756). Used the " a r t names", Eikachi and SenkadO. H e studied the style o f T o n i Kiyonobu, a n d also assimilated the delicate, 4 1 4 3 . KATSUKAWA SHUNSH (1726-92). S h u n s hO l e a r n e d f r o m M i y a g a w a Shunsui, b e a u t i f u l b r u s h w o r k o f N i s h i k a w a S u k e n o b u a n d O k u m u r a M a s a n o b u . H e i n v e n t e d a n d a t first u s e d t h e s c h o o l n a m e M i y a g a w a , b u t l a t e r a s s u m e d t h e f a m i l y n a m e Katsu a n e w f o r m o f p r i n t consisting o f t h r e e subjects o f n a r r o w s h a p e p r i n t e d t o g e t h e r o n k a w a . H e t h u s established his o r i g i n a l style, w h i c h b r o u g h t a b o u t a r e v o l u t i o n in a single sheet, a n d a n e w m e t h o d o f p r i n t i n g c a l l e d Ishizuri-e, s h o w i n g a p i c t u r e i n " a c t o r p o r t r a i t s " previously d o m i n a t e d b y t h e h e r e d i t a r y T o n i style. T o g e t h e r with w h i t e o n c o l o u r e d b a c k g r o u n d a s i f stencilled. I p p i t s u s a i B u n c M h e is c a l l e d o n e o f t h e c r e a t o r s o f Xigao-e. His vivid lines and strong, serene colour tones were sympathetic to the atmosphere o f Ka b u k i o f his time. 1 9 - 2 0 . T O R I I K I YONO B U T H E SECOND ( 1 7 0 2 - 5 2 ) . T h e third son o f Kiyonobu the First. Benizuri-e prints signed "Kiyonobu" are all works b y this Kiyonobu the 44. KATSUKAWA SHUNKO (1743-1812). ShunkO was a pupil o f Katsukawa ShunshO, Second. His style is less bold a n d less powerful t h a n t h a t o f the first. a n d excelled a t portrayal o f Kabuki actors. I n his middle age h e was struck b y para- lysis a n d worked with his left h a n d alone. 2 1 - 2 2 . T O R I I K l Y o M r r s u ( 1 7 3 5 - 8 5 ) . Kiyomitsu was the second son of Kiyomasu the Second, a n d became the h e a d o f the T o n i family in the third generation in 1752. His 4 5 . KATSUKAWA SHUN-El (1762-1819). Shun-ei was a distinguished pupil o f Katsu-. pictures of Kabuki actors show the traditional style o f the T o n i school, while those o f kawa ShunshO, a n d a master o f actor portraits. His art, characterized by vigorous lines, influenced Toyokuni a n d Sharaku. beauties are modified b y a neat, delicate taste. . 23. T o a i r KIYoHIRo ( m i d d l e e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y ) . K i y o h i r o s t u d i e d u n d e r Kiyo- T h e eldest son o f a book dealer, h e established his original style b y 4 6 . KITAo SHTGEMASA (1739-1820). " A r t - n a m e s " K a r a n , H e k i s u i , a n d KOsuisaidiligent self- sphere H e specialized in Beniuri-e, a n d his works are distinguished for poetic atmo- teaching. H e was the founder o f the Kitao school. His style is "subdued", modest, a n d fresh style. a n d tasteful. 2 4 . I S H I KAwA T OYONOBU (1 7 1 1 - 8 ) . Toyonobu was a pupil o f Nishimura Shigenaga, 47. K I T A O MASANOBU (r 761-1816). Masanobu learned Ukiyo-e from Kitao Shige- a n d a t first used the n ame Shigenobu. A great p a r t o f his works are Urushi-e i n the masa, b u t h e was more famous as a writer under the name, Santo KyOden. His style style o f Masanobu, b u t his Benizuri-e works, pleasantly depicting beautiful women with was more like that of T o n i Kiyonaga than that of the teacher Shigemasa. His late neat, rounded faces, reveal his distinctive style. years after the Kansei era ( 1 7 8 9 - 1 800) were devoted to writing fiction. 2 5 . T o R n KIYoMITsU AND T o R n KIYOTSUNE (middle eighteenth century). Kiyot- 48-54. T OR T KIYONAGA ( 1 7 5 2 - T 8 1 5 ) . Kiyonaga was the son o f Shirokiya Ichivei, sune learned from T o n i Kiyomitsu. His speciality was the depiction o f quiet atmo- publisher a n d book dealer. H e studied under T o n i Kiyomitsu (Toni the Third), sphere i n elaborate brushwork. a n d after the death of his teacher became T o n i the Fourth, to maintain the tradition o f the T o n i family as well as to educate the teacher's grandson, Kiyomine (Kiyomitsu 2 6 - 3 2 . SUZUKI HARUNOBU ( 725-70). I t is said t h a t Ha r u n o b u was a pupil o f the Second, o r T o n i the Fifth). H e a t first ma d e portraits o f actors in the T o n i style N i s h i m u r a S h i g e n a g a , b u t this is n o t c o n f i r m e d . H e w a s g r e a t l y i n f l u e n c e d b y b u t soon, i n f l u e n c e d b y I s o d a K o r y o s a i a n d o t h e r artists, c r e a t e d a n o r i g i n a l style in N i s h i k a w a S u k e n o b u , a b o o k illustrator o f t h e K a n s a i district ( t h e a r e a a r o u n d K y o t o , t h e d e p i c t i o n o f b e a u t i f u l w o m e n . H e p o r t r a y e d t h e v o l u p t u o u s b e a u t y o f w o m e n in O s a k a , etc.), a n d also s t u d i e d t h e style o f t h e s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y C h i n e s e c o u r t p a i n t e r a realistic style. H i s a r t , s h o w i n g p e c u l i a r l y b e a u t i f u l c o l o u r t o n e s a n d flowing lines, Ch'iu Ying. His a r t , d e p i c t i n g r o m a n t i c scenes o f love, w i t h girls a n d y o u t h s l i k e dolls, f o u n d g r e a t p o p u l a r i t y , a n d " K i y o n a g a style b e a u t i e s " p r e v a i l e d i n t h e Ukiyo-e f o u n d u n s u r p a s s e d p o p u l a r i t y , a n d t h e H a r u n o b u style d o m i n a t e d t h e U k i y o - e w o r l d w o r l d o f t h e T e m m e i p e r i o d (1781-89). o f his t i m e . H e m a d e a g r e a t c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f U k i y o - e b y inventing t h e t e c h n i q u e o f P o l y c h r o m e w o o d c u t p r i n t i n g c a l l e d Nishiki-e ( " b r o c a d e - p i c t u r e " ) , 5 5 5 7 . KATSUKAWA SHUNCHO ( l a t e e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y ) . S h u n c h O l e a r n e d from w h i c h h e t r i e d f o r t h e first t i m e i n m a k i n g p i c t u r e - c a l e n d a r s , f a s h i o n a b l e a s N e w Y e a r ' s K a t s u k a w a ShunshO, a n d w a s a c t i v e f r o m t h e e n d o f A n - e i t o t h e K a n s e i e r a s (1772- gifts e a r l y i n t h e M e i w a e r a 0 7 6 4 - 7 0 . I 8 0 0 ) . H i s p i c t u r e s a r e t h o s e o f b e a u t i e s , a n d s h o w t h e s t r o n g i n f l u e n c e o f Toni Kiyonaga. 33. SUZUKI HARU 5 H I G E (1738-1818). H a r u s h i g e , a p u p i l o f S u z u k i H a r u n o b u , m a d e 58-62. TOsHOSAI SHARAKU ( a c t i v e 1 7 9 4 - 9 5 ) . S h a r a k u w a s a n u n u s u a l g e n i u s among p i c t u r e s o f b e a u t i f u l w o m e n i n t h e style o f h i s t e a c h e r . H i s d i a r y tells t h a t h e m a d e all U k i y o - e artists. H i s e x t r e m e l y b o l d , impressionistic p o r t r a y a l o f a c t o r s w a s an fakes w i t h t h e t e a c h e r ' s signatures. H e c h a n g e d h i s n a m e t o S h i b a K O k a n a t t h e a r t o f a k i n d n e v e r a t t e m p t e d b y a n y o t h e r artist. T h e n a m e o f S h a r a k u is widely b e g i n n i n g o f t h e A n - e i e r a (1772-80), a n d i t is b y this n a m e t h a t h e is f a m o u s a s t h e k n o w n t h r o u g h o u t t h e w o r l d . H e w a s a c t i v e a s a p r i n t d e s i g n e r f o r o n l y 10 months f i r s t m a n i n J a p a n t o m a k e c o p p e r - p l a t e prints in Western style of technique a n d from M a y 1 7 9 4 t o F e b r u a r y 1 7 9 5 , during which period h e ma d e 1 4 5 prints. His perspective, whereabouts before a n d after t h a t a r e totally unknown. 22 23