Yoshitoshi's Strange TalesTais Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) was the most popular woodblock artist of his day. Customers lined up on the day of publication for his prints of historical characters and beautiful women. His career, which introduced subtle psychological observation to the artistic and representational world of ukiyo-e, straddled the tumultuous late Edo and early Meiji periods. Yoshitoshi was fascinated by the supernatural, and some of his best work concerns ghosts, monsters, and charming animal transmutations. "Yoshitoshi s strange tales" presents two series that focus on his depictions of the weird and magical world of the transformed. The first series dates from the beginning and the second from the end of the artist s abbreviated career, encapsulating his artistic development. "One Hundred Tales of Japan and China" ("Wakan hyaku monogatari") of 1865 is based on a game in which people told short scary ghost tales in a darkened room, extinguishing a candle as each tale ended. "New Forms of Thirty-six Strange Things" ("Shinken sanj rokkaisen") of 1889-92 illustrates stories from Japan s rich heritage of legends in more serene and objective ways. The book opens with a study of Japanese ghost prints and analysis of Yoshitoshi s changing treatments of the genre, and reproduces three rare paintings by the artist. This is Yoshitoshi at his most whimsical and imaginative." |
Contents
Introduction 77 | 7 |
One Hundred Tales of Japan and China | 28 |
New Forms of ThirtySix Strange Things | 82 |
Copyright | |
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appears badger beautiful became Buddhist century Chinese Chokuzan printed color creatures demon depicted Dragon Edo period Ehon emperor famous figure Forms of Thirty-Six Fujiwara Fuwa Bansaku ghost stories ghostly Hatsuhana Heian Heikurō hero Hidesato Hideyoshi Hokusai Hundred Phases illustrated Japan Japan and China Japanese Kabuki Kabuki play Kanagaki Robun Kayō Kikubatei Rokō killed Kiyohime Kiyomori Koremochi Kuniyoshi Kyoto magic Minamoto Minamoto no Yorimitsu Mitsutoshi Miyamoto Musashi monster Moon Mount murdered Musashi night Nobunaga Noh play number 20 Oiwa Okiku painting palace pigment priest Raikō robe Ryōko Sakurahime samurai Sankanjin seal Shinkei sanjurokkaisen shogunate sparrow spider spirits Suikoden supernatural sword Taira Taiso engraver Taiso Yoshitoshi Takeda Takeda Shingen Tamamo no Mae Tametomo temple tengu Thirty-Six Strange Things Toki Tokyo Tomomori Tsukioka ukiyo-e Wakan hyaku monogatari warriors Watanabe woman woodblock prints yamabushi Yorimitsu Yoshino Yoshitoshi Yoshitoshi engraver Yotsuya Yotsuya kaidan yūrei Zhong Kui 大金