Biography
The son of a silk dyer, little is known about Ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi's early years though he is said to have shown remarkable talent from a young age. At age 14 he was accepted to study woodblock printing under Utagawa Toyokuni and would become one of his most successful students. In direct contrast to Hiroshige and Hokusai’s peaceful views of a scenic Japan published in the 1830s and ‘40s, the following decades saw a rise in popular taste for the fierce, fearsome and fantastical in ukiyo-e, which Kuniyoshi embraced. In 1814, he left Toyokuni’s studio to pursue a career as an independent artist. In 1827 he produced the dramatic series 108 Heroes of the Suikoden and from that point on, he became known for portrayals of famous samurai and legendary heroes. This print was produced after his death, in 1966, when some of his old woodblock prints were rediscovered.