Lu Ji (Riku Seki), from the series "Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko)"
c. 1848/50
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
25.2 × 17.8 cm (9 15/16 × 7 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
149904
Art Historical Context
This vibrant color woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition, depicts *Lu Ji (Riku Seki)* from his series *Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko)*, created around 1848–50. Kuniyoshi, renowned for his dynamic warrior prints and imaginative historical scenes, here turns to Confucian moral tales popular in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). The chuban format—compact at 25.2 × 17.8 cm—made these affordable prints ideal for widespread distribution, bringing ethical stories to everyday viewers. The series illustrates 24 legendary Chinese figures...
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...