Iyo Province: Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Minamoto no Yoshitune, from the series "Modern Scenes of the Provinces in Edo Brocades (Edo nishiki imayo kuni zukushi)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; section of an oban sheet
Dimensions
17.5 × 21.7 cm (6 7/8 × 8 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
130731
Art Historical Context
In this vibrant color woodblock print from 1852, Utagawa Kuniyoshi captures kabuki superstar Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII in the role of the legendary samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Titled *Iyo Province: Ich Danjuro VIII asamoto no Yoshitune it forms part of Kuniyoshi's series *Modern Scenes of the Provinces in Edo Brocades (Edo nishiki imayo kuni zukushi)*. This oban sheet section (17.5 × 21.7 cm) showcases the actor in dynamic pose, blending historical drama with contemporary flair, as each province is reimagined through famous kabuki performances. Kuniyoshi, a master of the Utagawa school and uk...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...