The Young Yoshitsune defeats Benkei at Gojo Bridge
c. 1848
Medium
Color woodblock prints; oban triptych
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
49141
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Minamoto no Yoshitsune is one of the most famous samurai in Japanese history. A real warrior from the 12th century, Yoshitsune became a legendary figure that featured in folktales, such as one recounting how as a young man he defeated the giant Benkei at Gojō Bridge in Kyoto. This dramatic triptych features the eight goblins, or tengu, who aided Yoshitsune in this battle, including the tengu king, Sōjōbō, who was said to have taught Yoshitsune swords-manship. He can be seen at the top of the cen...
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...