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Kaosho Rochishin, no. 6 from the series The 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden, One by One

Kaosho Rochishin, no. 6 from the series The 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden, One by One

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi

This series of prints firmly established Kuniyoshi’s artistic reputation. No other designer of single-sheet warrior prints could match Kuniyoshi’s dynamism. In addition to bold colors and elaborate decorative patterning, he included distinctly Chinese costumes and settings that gave his designs an exotic appeal. His figures’ superhuman strength and dramatic actions set a standard that continued in the work of his students such as Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Kaosho Rochishin, a military captain, murdered a man who assaulted his own mistress. To avoid punishment, Rochishin became a monk before joining a band of outlawed heroes. In this scene Rochishin, with tattooed muscles bulging, cuts a pine tree in two with a single swing of his sword. The Buddhist rosary recalls his unsuccessful tenure as a monk.
Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(Japanese, 1798 - 1861)
Title
Kaosho Rochishin, no. 6 from the series The 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden, One by One
Date
ca. 1830
Medium
Color woodcut
Dimensions
386 x 262 mm Overall
Credit
John H. Van Vleck Endowment Fund purchase
Accession No.
2003.10
Classification
Prints
Geography
Japan

Related

  • Mueller, Laura. "Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School." Leiden, The Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2007. p. 127, no. 99
  • Chazen Museum of Art. "Three Directions: teamLab - Tenmyouya Hisashi - Ikeda Manabu." Madison: Chazen Museum of Art, 2014. p. 67, fig. 4

  • Japanese Masterworks: Woodblock Prints from the Chazen Museum of Art Collection: Chazen Museum of Art, 5/6/2016–8/14/2016
  • Garden of Unearthly Delights: Works by Ikeda, Tenmyouya & teamLab: Japan Society, 10/10/2014–1/11/2015
  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900 : Chazen Museum of Art, 3/21/2008–6/15/2008

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