Hanga
− by Kawanabe Kyosai — Japanese Woodblock print

by Kawanabe Kyosai

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Waseda University

Description

This Kawanabe Kyosai woodblock print is catalogued without a confirmed title or series identification. Among Kyosai's most distinctive subjects are his depictions of demons (oni), skeletons (gaikotsu), and supernatural beings drawn from Japanese Buddhist and folk traditions. These subjects — playful or terrifying depending on context — allowed him to exploit the expressive potential of extreme gesture, unconventional anatomy, and dynamic composition. His training under Kanô Tokinobu from age nine gave him a rigorous grounding in academic brush technique, while his simultaneous immersion in the popular ukiyo-e tradition through study with Kuniyoshi expanded his visual vocabulary to encompass genre, narrative, and caricature. This print reflects the polychrome woodblock production methods of mid-nineteenth-century Tokyo.

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Frequently Asked Questions

− was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).