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Drawings by Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the Collection of the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden
Book by Forrer, Matthi
146 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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May 25, 2018
The arc of veneration and analysis of painting and illustration tend to differ in the treatment of the Eastern masters and Western masters. There is something to be said for straightforward observation of the functional aesthetics of Eastern art that rises above the foaming blather so intrinsic to western art appreciation. As such, DRAWINGS BY UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI, of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), which chronicles work housed by The National Museum of Ethnology (Leiden, Netherlands), is a simple but beautiful collection.
This is a sketchbook of one of the last great masters of ukiyo-e art. Early doodles to finagle the composition of a complicated woodblock print. Playful sketches of famous actors of the regional theater. Rudimentary line art meant to guide pupils in structure and proportion as they craft stories and legends of old. This book contains, in the words of archivist Forrer, the most substantial collection of preliminary drawings of a Japanese master. This is notable because much of Utagawa's printed works survive to the present; a fact that permits historians and ethnographers the remarkable opportunity to observe and compare the artist's sketch work with the final, printed composition.
Forrer's short introduction and biography provide ample context for the collection's array of print art, triptych designs, fan designs, and more. Most of the notes are purely observational, using accurate cultural cues and providing clearer definitions (or, at times, hedging definitions) where necessary. Forrer is frank about what the museum simply doesn't know (i.e., "Various theories have been developed as to why these drawings have been preserved.").
To wit, DRAWINGS BY UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI does not reflect Utagawa's whole professional career; it does, however, highlight many of his strengths and interests. Legendary battles (warriors on horseback, cruel royals of foreign lands, anxious men wielding halberds). Commentaries on domestic life (animals dressed as humans and tending to human affairs). Lore, myths, and allegories (the hero Roshi Ensei, the maiden Kiyohime, the tale kume no sennin). This collection covers a lot of ground.
Most sketches are dated to Utagawa's later years (1840s–1850s), when his skill was purportedly nearing decline, while only a few works are attributed to the man's early years (1830s). The difference is one of particulars. "The swordsmith Munechika at work," for example, is a preparatory design for an apparently unpublished woodblock print that dates to the mid-1830s; the piece exhibits beautiful expressions and posing, if a tighter, more compact composition.
Nevertheless, regardless of what stage of career one may be observing, sketchbooks are intriguing. DRAWINGS BY UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI offers the opportunity to peek into the process of a legendary creator, which for artists or art aficionados, is an invaluable experience.
This is a sketchbook of one of the last great masters of ukiyo-e art. Early doodles to finagle the composition of a complicated woodblock print. Playful sketches of famous actors of the regional theater. Rudimentary line art meant to guide pupils in structure and proportion as they craft stories and legends of old. This book contains, in the words of archivist Forrer, the most substantial collection of preliminary drawings of a Japanese master. This is notable because much of Utagawa's printed works survive to the present; a fact that permits historians and ethnographers the remarkable opportunity to observe and compare the artist's sketch work with the final, printed composition.
Forrer's short introduction and biography provide ample context for the collection's array of print art, triptych designs, fan designs, and more. Most of the notes are purely observational, using accurate cultural cues and providing clearer definitions (or, at times, hedging definitions) where necessary. Forrer is frank about what the museum simply doesn't know (i.e., "Various theories have been developed as to why these drawings have been preserved.").
To wit, DRAWINGS BY UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI does not reflect Utagawa's whole professional career; it does, however, highlight many of his strengths and interests. Legendary battles (warriors on horseback, cruel royals of foreign lands, anxious men wielding halberds). Commentaries on domestic life (animals dressed as humans and tending to human affairs). Lore, myths, and allegories (the hero Roshi Ensei, the maiden Kiyohime, the tale kume no sennin). This collection covers a lot of ground.
Most sketches are dated to Utagawa's later years (1840s–1850s), when his skill was purportedly nearing decline, while only a few works are attributed to the man's early years (1830s). The difference is one of particulars. "The swordsmith Munechika at work," for example, is a preparatory design for an apparently unpublished woodblock print that dates to the mid-1830s; the piece exhibits beautiful expressions and posing, if a tighter, more compact composition.
Nevertheless, regardless of what stage of career one may be observing, sketchbooks are intriguing. DRAWINGS BY UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI offers the opportunity to peek into the process of a legendary creator, which for artists or art aficionados, is an invaluable experience.
Displaying 1 of 1 review