biography

Who is Katsushika Hokusai? His bio and paintings

Katsushika Hokusai who created the famous great wave painting Katsushika Hokusai self-portrait Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) must be the most famous Japanese woodblock printing (ukiyo-e) artist around the world. So, do you know how to pronounce “Katsushika Hokusai”? His art works of images including The Great Off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) and other prints of “Thirty-Six Views of …

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Kawase Hasui: biography, woodblock prints artworks and for sale

Kawase Hasui(1883-1957) Kawase Hasui(川瀬巴水)  was a modern Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print(shin-hanga) artist who played an active part in the early 1900s and the middle. Unfortunately, comparing to Katushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, he has not been so well-known in Japan. But he left 467 works of woodcut prints and received high praise from the other countries.       Kawase Bunjiro(川瀬文治郎) was born in …

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi:biography, ukiyo-e prints of samurai and other artworks

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) was one of the ukiyo-e artists who worked extensively as a member of Utagawa School, along with Hiroshige (広重) and Kunisada (国貞).  He established a unique world not found in other ukiyo-e artists. His talent of paint could be compared to Katsushika Hokusai(葛飾北斎). And thorough the life, he was a totally opposite person …

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Utagawa Kunisada (the third Toyokuni), his biography and woodblock prints

The biography and woodblock prints of Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) was the one of the most popular ukiyo-e artists at the end of the Tokugawa period as well as Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳), among the disciples of the first Toyokuni (豊国). In contrast to his younger disciple, he was a serious person and always neatly dressed.   Sponsored Links   …

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Artist Toshusai Sharaku’s kabuki ukiyo-e art print and reprints for sale

Toshusai Sharaku(東洲斎写楽) It was only ten months between 1794 and 1795 that Toshusai Sharaku worked as an ukiyo-e painter. But in the meantime, he has left over 140 kabuki actor portraits.   Mysterious ukiyo-e artist Although many people made various theories who Sharaku was, no one can’t find any definitive proof. Only limited people, such as the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo (蔦屋重三郎)  …

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Kitagawa Utamaro; biography and print artworks

Biography of Kitagawa Utamaro(1753?-1806) When talking about portraying beautiful women of ukiyo-e prints, we can’t describe it without touching on Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿). He developed the new ways to draw Edo women and it made him as a maestro of bijinga(printing of beautiful women portrait).       It is unclear when and where he was born exactly …

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Utagawa Hiroshige: biography and woodblock print artworks

Biography of Utagawa(Ando) Hiroshige(1797-1858)     The outstanding ukiyo-e artist, Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige<歌川(安藤) 広重> was born in 1797 as the son of the official fire fighter Ando Gen-emon. His landscape woodblock printings took many Edo citizens all over Japan. However, he was not from the class of tradesmen and artisans.       Ando family belonged to the class …

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