Taiso Yoshitoshi

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Taiso YOSHITOSHI (1839–1892) is one of the last great mas­ters of tra­di­tion­al Japan­ese wood­block prints. Yoshi­toshi was appren­ticed to Uta­gawa Kuniyoshi (around 1797 / 98–1861) and is con­sid­ered to be his main stu­dent. His first known works were cre­at­ed from 1860 onwards. Yoshi­toshi lived in a time of tur­bu­lence and upheaval. After the forced open­ing of the coun­try, Japan expe­ri­enced a vio­lent tran­si­tion from the clas­sic shogu­nate to mod­ern Japan. A great demand for illus­tra­tions of the events over­whelmed the artist with com­mis­sions. Yoshitoshi’s depic­tions, famous for his grue­some scenes, marked by extreme vio­lence and death, illus­trat­ed the events of his time. His last years are among his most pro­duc­tive. He made many trip­tychs and series, includ­ing the “Hun­dred Views of the Moon” and “New Forms of 36 Spirits”.

Taiso YOSHITOSHI (1839–1892) is one of the last great mas­ters of tra­di­tion­al Japan­ese wood­block prints. Yoshi­toshi was appren­ticed to Uta­gawa Kuniyoshi (around 1797 / 98–1861) and is con­sid­ered to be his main stu­dent. His first known works were cre­at­ed from 1860 onwards. Yoshi­toshi lived in a time of tur­bu­lence and upheaval. After the forced open­ing of the coun­try, Japan expe­ri­enced a vio­lent tran­si­tion from the clas­sic shogu­nate to mod­ern Japan. A great demand for illus­tra­tions of the events over­whelmed the artist with com­mis­sions. Yoshitoshi’s depic­tions, famous for his grue­some scenes, marked by extreme vio­lence and death, illus­trat­ed the events of his time. His last years are among his most pro­duc­tive. He made many trip­tychs and series, includ­ing the “Hun­dred Views of the Moon” and “New Forms of 36 Spirits”.

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