A Modern Version of Ushiwakamaru Serenading Princess Joruri

Art Historical Context

Torii Kiyonaga's *A Modern Version of Ushakamaru Serenading Joruri* (c. 1785) is a captivating color woodblock print triptych from Japan's Edo period, reimagining a legendary tale from the epic *Heike Monogat*. The scene depicts the young warrior Ushiwakamaru (Minamoto no Yoshits) charming Princess Joruri aboard a boat under the moonlight—a romantic episode popularized in kabuki theater. Kiyonaga, a master of the Torii, transforms this classical story into a "modern" vision, blending historical drama with the fashionable world of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"). Printed on large oban sheets (each roughly 38-39 x 25-26 cm), the triptych showcases Kiyonaga's signature elegance: graceful figures with flowing robes, subtle gradations of color achieved through innovative woodblock techniques like *bokashi* (ink blending) and multiple impressions. His bijin-ga style—depicting idealized beauties—elevates the courtesan-like princess and her suitor, capturing the era's fascination with theater, romance, and urban sophistication. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this work exemplifies ukiyo-e's peak in the late 18th century, when prints democratized art for everyday viewers. It highlights Kiyonaga's influence before Hokusai and Hiroshige, bridging folklore and fleeting pleasures in vibrant, enduring detail.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyonaga · 1752–1815

Torii Kiyonaga, born Sekiguchi Shinsuke in 1752 in Uraga, Sagami Province, was the son of an Edo bookseller who owned tenements near a bustling fish market. At age 14 in 1765, he began his apprenticeship under Torii Kiyomitsu, the third-generation head of the prestigious Torii school of ukiyo-e, renowned for kabuki theater illustrations and signage. Adopted into the Torii family, Kiyonaga succeede...