Antique Japanese Woodblock Print by Kunisada Soga Monogatari Revenge c.1850sPresented is a beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print created by the renowned artist of the late Edo period, Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1864), also known as Kunisada I and Toyokuni III. He was one of the most prominent artists and printmakers during the late Edo era (1600-1864) and the most productive of all ukiyo-e artists - he had created about 20,000 images, each of them printed in several hundred prints.Kunisada I Utagawa was a prolific woodblock print artist mostly known for his pictures of beautiful women (bijinga) and kabuki actors' prints (yakusha-e). Born in Edo (today’s Tokyo), he became a pupil of Toyokuni I Utagawa (1769-1825) at the age of 15 and would later adopt his name in the traditional Japanese manner, becoming Toyokuni III and continuing the development of the Utagawa art school.Kunisada’s pictures reflect the culture of Japan in the years leading up to the country’s opening to the West. His first book illustrations were published in 1807, and his first actor portrait the following year. Alongside theatrical scenes and courtesans, yakusha-e was his preferred genre amidst all his popular and extensive output. As he painted a large number of these, continuing the stout realism of his teacher, he acquired the nickname ‘Yakusha-e no Kunisada’ – Kunisada, the actor painter. In his numerous bijinga, he clung to the ideal of beauty prevalent at the time. Most of the women portrayed were courtesans from Yoshiwara, the regulated red-light district of the city.Many museums in the world have Kunisada works:British Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
Tokyo National Museum
Museum of Fine Arts in Houston
Honolulu Museum of Art
and many othersThe print was made using the Japanese woodblock technique. It depicts a man sitting in the blooming plum garden reading a book. The inscription on the print identify him as Soga no Jūrō Sukenari - one of the Soga brothers, the heroes of Soga Monogatari (曽我物語) - a Japanese military chronicle-tale based on the vengeance incident, Revenge of the Soga Brothers. The tale of the Soga brothers, Juro and Goro, is one of Japan's most enduring legends. Rooted in a historical event in 1193, this story of loyalty, revenge, and familial honor has captivated generations and remains influential in Japanese culture and arts today.The story is often known as The (illustrated) Tale of the Soga Brothers or The Revenge of the Soga Brothers. It is sometimes written as Soga Monogatari Zue (The Tale of the Soga brothers in pictures). In this particular image, Soga no Juro is preparing for the plot to avenge his father murdered by a distant relative.AUTHOR: Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III)
TITLE: Sawamura Gennosuke III as Soga no Jūrō Sukenari reading in a plum garden
CREATED: c.1850s
PAPER: washi paper
METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing
PRINTED: Lifetime printing circa 1850s
OVERALL SIZE: Full oban size 14.25" X 9.75" margins trimmed
BACKING: NoThe condition is very good. Good detail and colors, some minor soiling of the paper. Small worm hole repaired. No backing. Mounted to a cardboard sheet with two stripes of the museum tape.Images sell!
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