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In 1861 Kunichika married his first wife, Ohana, and had a daughter, Hana. The marriage probably did not last long, as he was a womanizer. He fathered two out-of-wedlock children, a boy and a girl, with whom he had no contact, but he does appear to have remained strongly attached to Hana. He enjoyed partying with [[geisha]]s and prostitutes, while consuming abundant amounts of alcohol. His greatest passion, however, was the theater, where he was a backstage regular. His appearance was shabby, he was constantly in debt, and he often borrowed money from the Kabuki actors he depicted so lovingly . He died [[July 1]], [[1900]] at the age of 65, due to a combination of poor health and bouts of heavy drinking brought on by the death in childbirth of his daughter Hana a few months before. He was buried at a [[Shingon Buddhism]] temple in [[Asakusa]]. |
In 1861 Kunichika married his first wife, Ohana, and had a daughter, Hana. The marriage probably did not last long, as he was a womanizer. He fathered two out-of-wedlock children, a boy and a girl, with whom he had no contact, but he does appear to have remained strongly attached to Hana. He enjoyed partying with [[geisha]]s and prostitutes, while consuming abundant amounts of alcohol. His greatest passion, however, was the theater, where he was a backstage regular. His appearance was shabby, he was constantly in debt, and he often borrowed money from the Kabuki actors he depicted so lovingly . He died [[July 1]], [[1900]] at the age of 65, due to a combination of poor health and bouts of heavy drinking brought on by the death in childbirth of his daughter Hana a few months before. He was buried at a [[Shingon Buddhism]] temple in [[Asakusa]]. |
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== See also == |
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*[[Woodblock printing in Japan]] |
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*[[Ukiyo-e artists]] |
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*[[Kabuki actors]] |
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[[Category:1900 deaths|Kunichika]] |
[[Category:1900 deaths|Kunichika]] |
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[[Category:Japanese printmakers|Kunichika]] |
[[Category:Japanese printmakers|Kunichika]] |
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[[Category:Ukiyo-e|Kunichika]] |
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[[el:Κουνιτσίκα]] |
[[el:Κουνιτσίκα]] |
Revision as of 23:53, 16 September 2007
Introduction
Kunichika Toyohara (1835-1900) was an artist who worked successfully in both the ukiyo-e and Meiji eras.
Childhood
Oshima Yasohachi was born in Edo (present-day Tokyo). The son of the proprietor of a public bathhouse, young Yasohachi took his mother's surname, Arakawa, in place of his father's, Oshima. At age eleven he was apprenticed to a thread and yarn store, but he preferred drawing to learning the dry goods trade. When he was twelve, his brother opened a "raised picture" (oshi-e) shop and Yasohachi drew illustrations for him.
Education
It is believed that around age twelve Yasohachi began to study with Toyohara Chikanobu. It may have been on the recommendation of Chikanobu that the boy was accepted the following year as an apprentice in the studio of Utagawa Kunisada, the leading and most prolific print maker of the mid-nineteenth century.
Art on the Cusp of a New Era
At the time Yasohachi began his serious studies, the late Edo period (1840s-early 1860s), an extension of traditions based on a feudal society, was ending. The "modern" Meiji era (1868-1912), a time of rapid modernization, industrialization, and extensive contact with the West, was in stark contrast to what had come before.The Ukiyo-e artists illustrated urban life and society -- specially the theater, for which the prints often served as advertising. The Meiji period brought the competition of photography and photoengraving, effectively destroying the careers of most Ukiyo-e artists.
Kunichika was unique in that his output straddles the old and the new (Edo to Meiji eras) represented by his classical subject matter and his use of modern (western) materials. He is considered one of the last Ukiyo-e masters.
Life As an Artist
By 1854 he had made his first confirmed signed print and he had taken the name "Kunichika," a composite of the names of this two teachers. His reputation grew steadily. He is known primarily for "actor prints" i.e. woodblock prints of Kabuki actors. He also portrayed women deemed beautiful (Bijinga), contemporary social life, and a few historical scenes. Like his mentor, he was prolific. In guides rating Ukiyo-e artists, his name appeared in the top ten in 1865, 1867, and 1885, when he was in eighth, fifth, and fourth place, respectively. In 1867, one year before the collapse of the Shogunate, he received an official commission by the government to contribute to the 1867 World Exhibition in Paris.
At his worst, Kunichika's work was banal, derivative, and some were outright copies. At his best he was a master of design and of drama. Some of his finest works were close-up or "large-head" portraits of actors and triptychs that presented "wide-screen" views of plays and popular stories. He is known for his use of strong reds and dark purples, often as background colors on his prints. They were made of aniline dyes imported in the Meiji period from Germany. For the Japanese the red color had the meaning of progress and enlightening by the new era of Western progress.
Personal Life
In 1861 Kunichika married his first wife, Ohana, and had a daughter, Hana. The marriage probably did not last long, as he was a womanizer. He fathered two out-of-wedlock children, a boy and a girl, with whom he had no contact, but he does appear to have remained strongly attached to Hana. He enjoyed partying with geishas and prostitutes, while consuming abundant amounts of alcohol. His greatest passion, however, was the theater, where he was a backstage regular. His appearance was shabby, he was constantly in debt, and he often borrowed money from the Kabuki actors he depicted so lovingly . He died July 1, 1900 at the age of 65, due to a combination of poor health and bouts of heavy drinking brought on by the death in childbirth of his daughter Hana a few months before. He was buried at a Shingon Buddhism temple in Asakusa.
See also
External links
Museum Sites
Looking at Kunichika
Biography
Image Sources
- Castle fine arts
- Japan Print Gallery
- Ohmi Gallery: Ukiyo-e and Shin Hanga prints from the collection of Dr Ross Walker
- Robyn Buntin of Honolulu
- Tokugawa Gallery
Doctoral Dissertation (in German)
Bibliography
Newland, Amy Reigle. Time present and time past: Images of a forgotten master: Toyohara Kunichika, 1835-1900. Leyden, the Netherlands: Hotei Publishing. ISBN 90-74822-08-11-8. {{cite book}}
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At this time this is the only major reference in English. Most are written in Japanese.