Kuniyoshi Book

Kuniyoshi

This sumptuously produced monograph showcases the work of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the last great Japanese masters of ukiyo-e prints, illustrations, and paintings. Best known for his depictions of fierce samurai warriors in battle, Utagawa Kuniyoshi also produced landscapes, portraits of Kabuki actors, and images of mythical animals. His dynamic action scenes and fantastic creatures are recognized today as precursors of manga and anime. This dazzling volume by Matthi Forrer, one of the leading experts on ukiyo-e art, traces Kuniyoshi's entire career. Chapters look at the major aspects of Kuniyoshi's oeuvre; his book illustrations and portraits of fashionable women; his enormously popular series featuring actors, warriors, and landscapes; and the influence of Western art on his career. Meticulous, large-scale reproductions highlight the work's clear outlines, elegantly muted palette, and precise details--from electrifying depictions of a tiger, mid-pounce, and light-hearted interpretations of Chinese folktales, to the terrifying figures of samurai swordsmen and romantic winter landscapes. A Japanese-style binding and box complete this luxurious package that promises an endlessly absorbing journey into the life of Kuniyoshi during the latter days of Japan's Edo period.

Kuniyoshi Kunisada

An exploration of the rivalry between Kuniyoshi and Kunisada, two of the most popular Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print artists of the nineteenth century, based on masterworks from the peerless Japanese art collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Rival ukiyo-e masters Kuniyoshi and Kunisada were the two most admired designers of figure prints in nineteenth-century Japan. Famous for the realism of his portraits of Kabuki actors, the sensuality of his beautiful women and the luxurious settings he imagined for historical scenes, Kunisada was the popular favourite during his lifetime. Kuniyoshi is loved by connoisseurs and collectors today for his dynamic action scenes of warriors and monsters (which foreshadowed present-day manga and anime), his comic prints, and even a few especially daring works that included forbidden political satire in disguise. With scores of illustrations in glorious full colour, this beautifully produced volume presents Kuniyoshi and Kunisada's artistic rivalry through a selection of outstanding works from the unparalleled Japanese art collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Readers are invited to decide for themselves which of the two is their personal favourite.

Catalogue of Japanese Printed Books and Manuscripts in the Library of the British Museum