Posts by Richard Kruml:
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size.
Station Hara from a set Tokaido gojusan tsugi, “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road,” aka the Reisho Tokaido from the clerical script used in the title, or the Marusei Tokaido after the publisher Maruya Seijiro (Marusei) who published the set 1847-52. A huge Mount Fuji towers over the landscape emphasized by the diminutive travellers in the foreground.
Very fine impression. Fine colour and condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Available
Price: £1,900
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Station Okitsu from a set Tokaido gojusan tsugi, “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road,” aka the Reisho Tokaido from the clerical script used in the title, or the Marusei Tokaido after the publisher Maruya Seijiro (Marusei) who published the set 1847-52. The Kiyomi Barrier and Seiken Temple […]
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Station Ejiri from a set Tokaido gojusan tsugi, “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road,” aka the Reisho Tokaido from the clerical script used in the title, or the Marusei Tokaido after the publisher Maruya Seijiro (Marusei) who published the set 1847-52. Located on the west side of […]
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Station Fuchu from a set Tokaido gojusan tsugi, “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road,” aka the Reisho Tokaido from the clerical script used in the title, or the Marusei Tokaido after the publisher Maruya Seijiro (Marusei) who published the set 1847-52. A night scene with travellers arriving […]
Utagawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size. Station Kanbara from a set Tokaido gojusan tsugi, “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road,” aka the Reisho Tokaido from the clerical script used in the title, or the Marusei Tokaido after the publisher Maruya Seijiro (Marusei) who published the set 1847-52. Kanbara, Fujikawa funawatashi, “Kanbara, Ferryboat on […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. A silhouetted fireman faces a conflagration; in his left hand he holds a matori, a three-dimensional standard which identifies him and his location. Enchu no tsuki, “Moon and Smoke” from Tsuki hyakushi, “One Hundred Aspects of the Moon.” Published by Akiyama Buemon (Akiyama Seikichi) 1885-1892, this being 1886. […]
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1864)
Click here to view image full size. The actor Ichikawa Ebizo V (Ichikawa Danjuro VII) in a Shibaraku scene as the warrior Usui Arataro Sadamitsu (Taira no Tadamichi) adopting the cross-eyed mie expression to show great emotion. From an untitled set of large-head portraits of actors, past and present, published by Ebisuya Shoshichi (Kinshodo) between […]
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. The warrior Eda Genzo Hirotsuna avoiding a hail of arrows during the defence of Minamoto Yoshitsuna’s palace at Horikawa, Kyoto in 1185. He was killed during the night attack. Horikawa seiran, “Clearing Weather at Horikawa” from the set Yobuhakkei, “Military Brilliance for the Eight Views.” Each of the […]
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size. Jakko Nunobiki no taki, “The Hanging Cloth Waterfall at Jakko Shrine.” So-called because it falls in seven-tiers. The shrine is seen below the fall. From a set of five prints: It was probably intended to be a set of three prints but another two were added, possibly with […]
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size. The Kirifuri waterfall, Kirifuri no taki, santaki no sono ikkei, “The Falling Mist Waterfall, View of One of the Three Falls.” From a set Nikkosan meisho no uchi, “Celebrated Views in the Nikko Mountains.” A group of travellers admire the fall from below. From a set of five […]
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size. Kegon no taki, santaki no sono ikkei, “ The Kegon Waterfall, View of One of the Three Falls.” From a set Nikkosan meisho no uchi, “Celebrated Views in the Nikko Mountains.” Three travellers rather precariously perched on a ledge looking down at the fall. From a set of […]
Kitagawa UTAMARO (1753-1806)
Click here to view image full size. A pillar print showing the courtesan Ariwara and her young attendant Arishige (below), both of the Tsuruya House. Utamaro’s output of hashira-e was not as great as some other artists, and they are especially difficult to find in good condition because of often being hung on pillars and […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych showing horse racing in Tokyo. Tokyo Shokonsha [the original name of the Yasukuni Shrine] naigaijin keiba no zu, “Horse Racing for Foreigners and Japanese in Shokonsha Tokyo.” From Tokyo kaika kyoga meisho, “Comic Pictures of Civilised Tokyo.” Published by Maruya Jinpachi (Marujin) 1871. The first Western-style […]
Utagawa YOSHITSUYA (1822-1866)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych Uto Yasukata chugi den, “The Tale of Faithful Uto Yasukata.” Shows Shogun Taro Taira no Yoshikado (centre); Princess Takiyasha right); and Uto Yasukata and his wife (far left) turning into birds. Set in the ruins of Soma Palace. Takiyasha releases a ghost from a cauldron. A […]
Utagawa YOSHIFUSA (Act. 1837-1860)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych showing the vengeful spirit of Akugenta Yoshihira in a giant ball of fire sending a lightning bolt down on Nanba Jiro. Retaliation for having been defeated and beheaded during the Heiji rebellion. (There are other explanations for Yoshihira’s revenge, but this is the most common.) The […]
Toyohara KUNICHIKA (1835-1900)
Click here to view image full size. A diptych showing the actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa in the drama Shibaraku, “Just a moment.” The large sansho (three square) motif was the symbol of the Danjuro clan and is repeated around the border. In the background are peonies, also associated with the Danjuro […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych showing carp swimming beneath wisteria. A rare and extremely unusual subject in Yoshitoshi’s canon of work. Koi are symbols of love and friendship in Japan. The breeding of ornamental carp began in the 1820s. The outside world was unaware of the advances in breeding colour variations […]
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size. An amorous couple from an unsigned abuna-e (from abunai, risqué) set of twelve prints Keisai higo, “Secret Words of a Courtesan” published c. 1822-25. Although coming under the heading of shunga, each print is without any graphic details. She adjusts his hair with her hairpin while he smokes […]
Mori SOSEN (1747-1821)
Click here to view image full size. An original painting, sumi and light colour on silk, image size 8 x 10.75 in; 20.5 x 27.5 cms. His life is not well documented but he is known to have studied under the Kano artist Yamamoto Joshunsai (? -1781) before being drawn into Mauyama Okyo’s (1735-1795) artistic […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. Uesugi Kenshin Nyudo Terutora. Shows Uesugi no Terutora (aka Kenshin) riding into battle through clouds of smoke against his long-standing adversary Takeda Shingen. From a set of 33 prints Yoshitoshi musha burui, “Yoshitoshi’s Courageous Warriors.” Published by Kobayashi Tetsujiro between 1883 and 1886, this being 1883. A fine […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. Shows Sagami Jiro Taira no Masakado on horseback attacking an opponent and having cut his sword in two. From a set Yoshitoshi musha burui, “Yoshitoshi’s Courageous Warriors.” Published by Kobayashi Tetsujiro, 1883. Very fine impression: This is the first edition with three-colour cartouche and small red seals […]
Toyohara KUNICHIKA (1835-1900)
Click here to view image full size. A vertical diptych showing the actor Onoe Kikugoro V as the archvillain and sorcerer Nikki Danjo emanating in a cloud of smoke from his alter ego – the giant rat. He holds in his mouth the scroll containing the names of the conspirators given to Masaoka which he […]
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. The actor Onoye Kikugoro III as the ghost of Oiwa from a production of Yotsuya kaidan at the Morita Theatre, 1836. Probably the most famous Japanese ghost story. It was adapted by the playwright Tsuruya Nanboku IV for his friend Kikugoro in 1825. The left panel of a […]
1764-65 – a pivotal year for Ukiyoe-e
The years 1764/5 are now recognised as the most pivotal in the development of Ukiyo-e. Prior to this year fully polychrome prints were rarely produced. The ability to ‘key’ more than one block been known had for some time using the simple expedient of kento marks cut in relief – a right-angle in the […]
Suzuki HARUNOBU (1724-1770)
Click here to view image full size. A beauty standing beside a stream where wild chrysanthemums grow. A mitate-e (parody) of Kikujido, the Chrysanthemum Boy, who was the favourite of the Chinese Emperor Mu (c. 950 B.C.). However, because of court jealousy, he was banished but had his exile eased by the Emperor who gifted […]
Hosoda EISHI (1756-1829)
Click here to view image full size. Two beauties examining tanzaku poetry cards from a set Ukiyo Genji hakkei, “Eight Views of Genji in the Floating World.” The designs stand alone but also form diptychs. This series compares scenes from the famous Tale of Genji novel written by the Lady Murasaki in the early 11th […]
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. A poem by the celebrated poet Minamoto no Shigeyuki from the series Hyakunin isshu no uchi, “One Hundred Poems for One Hundred Poets” which was compiled in 1235 by Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241). Shows the poet on a craggy outcrop with waves crashing around him; Fuji in the distance. […]
Yamamoto FUJINOBU (Active 1750-1770)
Click here to view image full size. An original painting, full colour on paper, image size 32.25 x 7 in; 82 x 18 cms. Shows a parading courtesan with her kamuro. A painter and print artist whose prints were always published by Yamamoto Fusanobu giving rise to the theory that Fujinobu was a pseudonym of […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. The great beauty Lady Kaoyo (Gozen) admires herself in a long morror. Lord Ko Moronao, the chief retainer of Shogun Ashikaga Takauji, hears of her beauty and connives to spy on her after her bath. He falls in love, but she is married to En’ya Hankan Takasada. The […]
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. A poem by the celebrated poet Bunya no Yasuhide from the series Hyakunin isshu no uchi, “One Hundred Poems for One Hundred Poets” which was compiled in 1235 by Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241). The poet in the background watches as a fierce wind blows away some of the umbrellas […]
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. A poem by the celebrated poet Sutoku-in from the series Hyakunin isshu no uchi, “One Hundred Poems for One Hundred Poets” which was compiled in 1235 by Fujiwara Teiki (1162-1241). Shows the exiled Emperor Sutoku (1119-64) standing on a rocky outcrop above turbulent rapids. His wrath causes a […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych from a set Bidan musha hakkei, “Eight Views of Warriors’ Fine Tales.” This design Togakushi no seiran, “Clearing Weather of the Togakushi Mountains.” Princess Sarashina, who is actually a female oni called Momji, “Maple Leaves,” having transformed herself, is seen screaming from behind a giant drum […]
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
Click here to view image full size. The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Shibuya Konnomaru Masatoshi from a set Edo meisho zue, “Famous Places of Edo.” This being Shibuya. Published by Iseya Chusuke 1852. Very good impression. Good colour and condition. Signed Toyokuni ga. Status: Available Price: £900
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
Click here to view image full size. The actor Segawa Kikunojo III as the Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree from a set Mitate sanjurokkasen no uchi, “An Imaginary Thirty-six Poets.” A famous early compilation; in this case the image is inspired by a poem of Fujiwara no Motozane. The spirit is the courtesan Kurozome […]
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych showing the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (centre) battling Shirakura Dengoemon (left) and his henchmen. The story usually relates how a jealous Dengoemon plots to kill Musashi by inebriating him and locking him in a bath house without his sword. However, Musashi, wielding a huge broken beam, […]
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych from a set of ten: Dai Nippon shiryaku zue, “Short Illustrated History of Great Japan.” Each print is in the form of an unrolled makimono. This design shows the third son of the twelfth century Emperor Keiko, Yamato Takeru no mikoto (Wo-usu). His father was constantly […]
Ichirakutei EISUI (Active 1790-1823)
Click here to view image full size. A fine okubi-e (“large head”) portrait of the courtesan Shizuka of the Tama-ya House. Eisui, like the other main pupils of Eishi, produced some of the finest bust-portraits in Ukiyo-e. Published by Maruya Bunemon c late 1790’s. Other impressions illustrated in Klaus J. Brandt, Hosoda Eishi, page 72, […]
Toyohara CHIKANOBU (1838-1912)
Click here to view image full size. A triptych showing the Shinto Storm God Susanoo about to slay the eight-headed dragon, Yamata no Orochi, at the head of the Hi River in pouring rain. The dragon devoured virgins and had eaten the seven daughters of two earthly deities, seen top right. The eighth, Kushi-inada-hime, also […]
Utagawa TOYOKUNI I (1769-1825)
Click here to view image full size. A surimono showing the actor Ichikawa Danjuro II as Soga no Goro Tokimune holding the giant arrow prior to sharpening it on the large wetstone from the play Yanone Goro. From a series of surimono that paid tribute to the various generations of the Danjuro family. There are […]
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1798-1861)
Click here to view image full size. Cao Cao (Jap. Shuso) and Pang De (Jap. Hotoku) in the Han river during the battle with Guan Yu. From a set of Chinese warrior prints: Tsuzoku sangokushi eiyu no ichinin, “Heroes of the Popular History of the Three Kingdoms.” Published by Joshuya Kinzo, c. 1836. Robinson S10.8 […]