Yoshitoshi

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japanese月 冈 芳 年; * 1839 in Edo, † June 9, 1892; later Taiso Yoshitoshi大 苏 芳 年) was one of the last great masters and one of the great innovative and creative spirit of the classic Japanese woodblock, especially of the Ukiyo -e.

Yoshitoshi's work extended from the last years of feudal Japan to the first years of modern Japan. Like many other Japanese, he also was interested in things and developments from the rest of the world, but was concerned more with the time of the loss of Japanese traditions, which included the classic color woodcut.

While working on old-fashioned way, took over Japan the usual in Western methods of mass reproduction like photography and lithography. Yoshitoshi succeeded in the course of his career to lift almost single-handedly the traditional Japanese woodblock print to a new level, before he actually ceased to exist with him.

Yoshitoshi's importance was characterized by John Stevenson follows:

Life

Yoshitoshi was born in 1839 under the name Owariya Yonejirō in Edo (now Tokyo). His father was a rich merchant who had bought the Status of a Samurai. After this had taken a new partner, Yoshitoshi lived from the age of three with his uncle, a pharmacist without children of their own.

Owariya Yonejirō received his artist name Yoshitoshi by his master Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the last great masters of the Japanese woodblock, whose apprentice he was in 1850 at the age of 11 years. One of his fellow apprentices was Yoshiiku who allegedly harassed and bullied the younger Yoshitoshi; the rivalry and enmity between the two artists also continued in later years. Although he was not regarded during his lifetime as the successor of Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi is now regarded as his main students.

Yoshitoshi's first print was published in 1853 when he was fourteen years old: a triptych of the naval battle of Dan -no- ura, the Minamoto clan in 1185 defeated the forces of the then-ruling Taira clan. At the same time, the U.S. Commander Perry arrived with his fleet in Japan and forced the opening of the country to the West. After Yoshitoshi published some time nothing, perhaps due to an illness of his master in the last few years. Although his life after the death of his master Kuniyoshi in 1861 was heavy, they managed to release him some work; 44 of his prints dating from 1862.

Yoshitoshi's early works show extreme depictions of violence and death, perhaps a reflection of the general lawlessness and violence of a country at the same time experienced the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the forced influence of the West. In addition to political instability Also, the Japanese economy was in a deep recession, accompanied by hyperinflation and poor harvests. Yoshitoshi was accidentally witnessed the Battle of Ueno in 1868. Immediately afterward, he made several woodblock prints with extremely bloody and gruesome scenes, often against a black background. These woodblock prints sold well, and during this time he was known; in 1869 he was considered one of the best block print artists in Japan.

From the early 1870s he first got no more orders, perhaps because the public was tired of his scenes of violence. In 1871, he was severely depressed, and his life spiraled out of control, which was to be repeated several more times until his death. He lived under very poor conditions with his mistress Okoto that sold their clothes and belongings to support him. Once she even had to use the floor of the house as fuel.

Yoshitoshi's luck turned in 1873, when his mood had improved and he was re- productive. As an indication of its improved relations he changed his family name to " Taiso " (大 苏, great resurrection ). As part of the modernization of Japan, the first newspapers were founded, and Yoshitoshi was commissioned to design prints for one of them. Its financial situation was still tense, and in 1876 sold his mistress in a typical Japanese gesture of loyalty to a brothel in order to help him.

With the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, when the old feudal system made ​​the last attempt to stop the new order, the sales of newspapers started to rise sharply and wood block printers were highly sought after, especially Yoshitoshi. The woodcuts were used to illustrate the events during the rebellion. His prints brought him public recognition and stabilized its finances a little.

The end of 1877 he took a new mistress, the geisha Oraku; as Okotu also sold them their clothes, and their property, and when they parted after a year, she also went to the brothel.

At this time, the woodcut industry was in big trouble. All the great artists from the first half of the century, such as Hiroshige, Kunisada and Kuniyoshi, had died. In the throes of modernizing Japan of the woodcut was a dying art. However, Yoshitoshi insisted on high standards of production and thereby helping to temporarily preserve him from ruin.

1880 learned Yoshitoshi Sakamaki Taiko know, a former geisha with two children. They married in 1884, and while he still had extramarital relationships seems to have helped her gentle and patient way to stabilize it. He now owned a large house and taught many students. In 1882 he was employed by a newspaper publisher, his finances were secure from now on.

His last years are among his most prolific, with the large series One Hundred Views of the Moon (1885-1892) and New Forms of 36 Ghosts ( 1889 to 1892 ), and several triptychs of kabuki actors and scenes. These publications appeared gradually, and especially the Hundred Views of the Moon were so successful that were formed for each new leaf long queues of buyers beginning. During this time he also worked with a friend, the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō ​​IX, and others together in a bid to save some of the Japanese arts.

Towards the end of Yoshitoshi's life returned to his mental problems. When he invited friends to a meeting with artists beginning in 1891, it turned out that this did not exist and the event was based on a delusion. The symptoms intensified, and he was sent to a mental hospital. This he left in May 1892 but did not return to his house, but otherwise rented room. He died three weeks later on June 9, 1892 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Retrospective

Yoshitoshi produced many print series and a large number of triptychs, many of them are of high quality. Two of his most famous series, One Hundred Aspects of the Moon and 36 Ghosts, contain numerous masterpieces. The third, 32 Views of customs and manners, was considered the most valuable for many years, but has lost some of its prestige. Other, less well-known series contains many good prints, such as Famous Generals of Japan A collection of desires, New selection of eastern brocade pictures and life of modern people.

While his prints were still asked some years after his death, eventually waned, the general interest. The academic opinion of his time claimed that the generation of Hiroshige had indeed been the last generation large color woodcut master, and even more traditional collectors collected only earlier works and ended up with the generation of Utamaro and Toyokuni.

The interest in Yoshitoshi came in the 1970s again, and the new interpretation of his works took their quality, originality and genius true, and the degree to which he succeeded to preserve the best of the old woodblock, while simultaneously the representation spectrum extended by he incorporated new ideas from the West as well as its own innovations.

Since then, Yoshitoshi's reputation has increased in Japan and in the West, he is now widely regarded as the greatest Japanese artists of his time.

Print series

Incomplete list of Yoshitoshi's print series:

• Hundred Ghost Stories from China and Japan (1865-1866)
• Biographies of modern men (1865-1866)
• 28 famous murderers with verses ( 1866-1869 )
• Hundreds of warriors (1868-1869)
• Biographies of drunken courageous Tigers (1874 )
• Mirror of the beauties of the past and present (1876 )
• Famous Generals of Japan (1876-1882)
• A collection of desires (1877 )
• Eight Elements of Honor ( 1878)
• 24 hours with the courtiers of Shimbashi and Yanagibashi (1880 )
• Warriors, trembling with courage (1883-1886)
• One Hundred Views of the Moon (1885-1892)
• Personalities of today (1886-1888)
• 32 views of customs and manners (1888 )
• New Forms of 36 Ghosts ( 1889-1892 )