Kawazu Saburo Sukemichi wrestling Matano Goro Kagehisa, from the series "Illustrated Tale of the Soga Brothers (Soga monogatari zue)"
c. 1843/47
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
37 × 25.3 cm (14 9/16 × 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34428
Art Historical Context
In the dynamic woodblock print *Kawazu Saburoemichi wrestling Matanooro Kagehisa*, Utagawa Hiroshige captures a tense moment from the legendary *Illustrated Tale of the S Brothers (Soga monogatariue)*, a popular series from around 1843–47. This oban-sized color print (37 × 25.3 cm) depicts the fierce sumo-style wrestling match between the warriors Kawazu Saburo and Matano Goro, key figures in the Soga brothers' epic tale of vengeance for their father's murder. Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition, brings the drama of kabuki theater to life, blending historical narrative with the "float...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...