Yu Qianlou (Jp: Yu Kinro), from the series "Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety (Nijushiko)"
c. 1825
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
20.6 × 18.3 cm (8 1/8 × 7 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81103
Art Historical Context
Discover the poignant tale of Yu Qianlou (Yu Kinro in Japanese) in this exquisite color woodblock print by Totoya Hokkei, around 1825. Part of the series *Twenty-four Paragons of Filialiety (Nijushiko)*, it draws from a revered Chinese moral anthology that celebrates extreme acts of devotion to one's parents—core Confucian values that resonated deeply in Edo-period Japan. Hokkei, a skilled pupil of the master Katsushika Hokusai, captures Yu Qianlou's legendary sacrifice with delicate precision, rendering the intimate square shikishiban format ideal for private appreciation. This surimono, a l...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...