Issue 04 12-2019

The 25 Most Important Classical Shunga Artists (Vol. 2) Issue 04 12-2019

The 25 Most The Important Classical Shunga 25 Most Artists (Vol. 2) Important Classical Shunga Artists (Vol. 2)

On our forum (will be launched later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section! Issue 04 12-2019 Contents

The 25 Most The 25 Most Important Classical Shunga Artists (Vol. 2) 7 Important Chōbunsai Eishi (1756-1829) 9 Classical Shunga Chōkyōsai Eiri (act. c. 1789-1801) 11 Artists Kikugawa Eizan (1787-1867) 13 (Vol. 2) Keisai Eisen ((1790-1848) 15 Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787-1832) 17 Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825 19 Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) 21 Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) 23 Kawanebe Kyosai (1831-1889) 25 Tomioka Eisen (1864-1905) 27 Ikeda Terukata (1883-1921) 29 Mission 31

Copyright © 2019 On our forum (will be launched later this year!) and Design and lay out: Haags Bureau blog you can find First print: december 2019 much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or check out other published by means of printing, photocopying, microfilm, free eBooks in the scan, electronic copy or in any other way, without prior following section! permission from the author and publisher. Issue 04 12-2019 The 25 Most Important Classical Shunga Artists (Vol. 2)

The 25 Most In our previous volume (both can be downloaded in our eBooks section) Important we examined the first 15 of the 25 most important shunga artists Classical Shunga ending with Kitao Masanobu. Artists (Vol. 2) The next one in line is...

On our forum (will be launched later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

7 Issue 04 12-2019 Chōbunsai Eishi (1756-1829)

The 25 Most Eishi was of high-ranking samurai birth. He was a great rival of Important Utamaro and they were influenced by each other. Utamaro adopted Classical Shunga Eishi’s ethereal, exaggeratedly slender and elegant style of portraying Artists women. His major contribution to shunga can be found in his excellent (Vol. 2) scroll paintings) some nice examples were on display during the shunga exhibition at the British Museum in 2013/2014). These were lavishly executed paintings, using high-quality pigments, gold and gold-leaf, that show sexual couplings displayed in colorful settings and show Eishi’s fantastic eye for detail.

Fig. 16. On our forum ‘Picture four from a scroll consisting of five paintings: Dutchman caressing the (will be launched private parts of a Japanese courtesan’ (c. 1800-20) by Chōbunsai Eishi later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

9 Issue 04 12-2019 Chōkyōsai Eiri (act. c. 1789-1801)

The 25 Most Very little is known about Eiri. He was active in the last decade of the Important eighteenth century. Together with Chōkōsai Eisho (c. 1790-1800) he Classical Shunga was one of Eishi’s most famous students. Although he was a pupil of Artists Eishi he was heavily influenced by Utamaro and specialized in designs (Vol. 2) of female beauties (bijinga). His most famous prints are the male portraits of two Edo celebrities: the bon vivant and colleague Kitao Masanobu and the head of the Tomimoto school of music and dance, Tomimoto Bu-zendayu.

His most celebrated work in the shunga genre is ‘Models of Calligraphy (Fumi no kiyogaki)’, released for the New Year in 1801. The album is inspired on Utamaro’s masterpiece ‘Poem of the Pillow (c. 1788)’ but really stands on his own. One of the masterpieces of the set is the opening image (Fig. 17) showing a Dutchman and a Japanese courtesan making love, framed by a window overlooking the garden. The design fully expresses the violent contrast between the elegant image of the youthful Japanese woman and the repellent Dutchman – a ‘Southern barbarian’, as mentioned in the text. In Utamaro’s ‘Poem of the Pillow’ the album ends with a design of a monstrous Dutch couple, depicted Fig. 17. On our forum clinging to each other in a ludicrous sexual embrace. ‘Dutchman with Japanese courtesan’ (c. 1801) from the series ‘Models of (will be launched Calligraphy’ by Chokyosai Eiri later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

11 Issue 04 12-2019 Kikugawa Eizan (1787-1867)

The 25 Most Eizan was born in Edo in 1787 on the ninth day of the ninth month. Important His first teacher was his father Kikugawa Eiji. He was a painter himself Classical Shunga but he also was a creator of fans and artificial flowers. This had a major Artists impact on Eizan’s pictiorial style in shunga which were very colorful and (Vol. 2) full of flower patterns. He also studied with Suzuki Nanrei (1775-1844), an artisan of the realistic Shijo school. Through Totoya Hokkei (1780- 1850) he was also influenced by Hokusai, who was his pupil.

Later Eizan founded the Kikugawa school where he trained the extraordinary artist Keisai Eisen. He had a great visual insight and sense of colour and he was a master in portraying the female figure. On a commercial level he learned a lot from his friend Toyokuni who was very successful exploiting his influential Utagawa school. A famous shunga series by him in the oban format is the ‘Spring Pleasures (Haro no raku)’ -series from c. 1815.

Fig. 18. ‘Kimono patterns’ (c. 1815) from the series: ‘Haru no raku’ (Spring Pictures) ‘ On our forum (will be launched by Kikugawa Eizan later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

13 Issue 04 12-2019 Keisai Eisen ((1790-1848)

The 25 Most Eisen had a distinguished artistic background. His father was a Important prominent calligrapher and poet. and so he got in touch with the arts Classical Shunga from an early age. Eisen’s artistic career began towards the end of Artists the 1810s. Like many painters and authors of his time he used various (Vol. 2) names according to the genre in which he was working. In the case of erotic art, his most used signatures were Insai 0r Insai Hakusui.

Besides designing prints and paintings he also was a devoted writer of novels, plays, history books, legends and biographies. He also wrote ‘Ukiyo-e ruiko’, which is the most extensive collection of biographies of ukiyo-e artists. He excelled in shunga because he was a superb portraitist of the female figure. His women were vigorous and physically more realistic and solid. According to Richard Lane Eisen’s masterpiece in the shunga genre is the aiban series ‘Passion in the Snows of Spring (Haru no usuyuki)’ from 1822 (see Fig. 19). Despite Eisen’s aesthetic talent he was not very successful and died a poor man.

Fig. 19. On our forum ‘The Distant Past of the Tenpyõ Era (Tenpyõ hõji no mukashi)’ (c. 1822) from the (will be launched series: ‘A Light Spring Snow (Haru no usuyuki)’ by Keisai Eisen later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

15 Issue 04 12-2019 Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787-1832)

The 25 Most Hokusai’s most prominent pupil, Totoya Hokkei who was deeply Important impressed by Shigenobu’s skillful illustrations. The relationship between Classical Shunga Hokusai and Shigenobu did not proceed smoothly and he even got Artists expelled as Hokusai’s disciple. Although he later married Hokusai’s (Vol. 2) eldest daughter.

Shigenobu produced relatively few works in general but he enriched the shunga genre with a masterpiece oban series that is unmatched in brutality and boldness. The title of this unrelenting work is ‘Willow Storm (Yanagi no arashi)’ and was published in the late 1820s (Fig. 20). The album is extraordinary for its eccentric designs and the sense of belligerent urgency that speaks through the compositions. There seems to be very little tenderness in the sexual encounters. Shigenobu used a more loving approach to erotic encounters in ‘The Floating Bridge of Heaven (Ama no ukibashi)’

Fig. 20. ‘Chinese couple’ (late 1820s) from the series: ‘Willow Storm (Yanagi no Arashi’)’ by On our forum Yanagawa Shigenobu (will be launched later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

17 Issue 04 12-2019 Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825

The 25 Most Son of an important carver of dolls in Edo. Toyokuni exhibited a gift for Important painting from a very early age. He served his education at the studio of Classical Shunga Utagawa Toyoharu (1735-1814), who was the founder of the dominating Artists Utagawa school. From Totoharu he assumed his professional surname (Vol. 2) and the first character, Toyo, that makes up his name. Toyokuni worked mainly in the kabuki-e (actor print) and he was, together with Toshusai Sharaku (act.c. 1794-1795), the supreme master of the genre.

His work in the genre of shunga is scant but excelled when he did. Two nice examples are his book series ‘Picture Book: Mirror of the Vagina (Ehon kaichu kagami)’, published in c. 1823, and the groundbreaking ‘Call of Geese Meeting at Night (Ōyogari no koe)’, published in c. 1822. The latter introduced a more shocking approach to the genre as displayed in the scene with a gravedigger making love to a corpse (Fig. 21).

On our forum Fig. 21. (will be launched ‘Gravedigger and corpse’ (c. 1822) from the series ‘Call of Geese Meeting at Night’ later this year!) and blog you can find by Utagawa Toyokuni much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

19 Issue 04 12-2019 Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)

The 25 Most Without a doubt the most prolific of all Floating World artists. Important He worked in virtually all genres (except for the landscape genre) Classical Shunga and was the most successful of all 19th Century ukiyo-e masters. Artists Educated by Toyokuni, of whom he adopted his pseudonym, but from (Vol. 2) whose influence he soon freed himself to create his own personal style. Kunisada was not only popular among the public but also with his principals and clients. These clients were often influential and rich merchants who offered him interesting assignments. Book series such as ‘Sho-utsushi Aioi Genji (A True-life Devoted Genji)’ published in 1851 and ‘Genji of the East, Charm of Flowers and Birds (Kachõ yojõ Azuma Genji)’, issued c. 1837 (see also Fig. 22) were clearly consignments from the affluent elite.

In Kunisada’s shunga work there’s a lot attention to details and accessoires surrounding the scenes. The clothing, the hairstyles of the human figures the sumptuous screens and sliding doors, the plates of food and brightly colored quilts, all add to an ensemble rich in minutely rendered details.

Fig. 22. On our forum ‘Masturbating woman’ (c. 1837) from the series ‘Genji of the East, Charm of Flowers (will be launched later this year!) and and Birds (Kachõ yojõ Azuma Genji)’ by Utagawa Kunisada. blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

21 Issue 04 12-2019 Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)

The 25 Most Most famous for his collection of the portraits of the Suikoden Heroes, Important the Chinese classical tale that recounts the adventures of 108 heroic Classical Shunga bandits in medieval China. Kuniyoshi depicted the bandits one by one Artists with a multitude of details. He even portrayed their intricate tattoos (Vol. 2) that caused a major trend among the Edo population. This trend has survived to this day, and even has spread far beyond Japan. The Suikoden series became very popular and increased the demand for prints of warriors.

The power and eloquence of Kuniyoshi’s figures are revealed even more clearly in his shunga images. His strong and original style emerges both in his loose sheet prints and in books such as ‘Edo Brocades, Eastern Library (Edo nishiki, azuma bunko)’ which was published c. 1838. The images portrayed in half-length are very effective and have a strong physical presence. They are large and stand out against a blue, green en sometimes purple background with no added text (see Fig. 23).

Fig. 23. On our forum ‘Wetting the fingers’ (c. 1838) from the series ‘Edo nishiki-e, azuma bunko (will be launched later this year!) and (Edo Brocades, The Eastern Library)’ by Utagawa Kuniyoshi blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

23 Issue 04 12-2019 Kawanebe Kyosai (1831-1889)

The 25 Most Near the end of the nineteenth century, during the Meiji period, Important the shunga genre was in decline. Major ukiyo-e artists such as Classical Shunga Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) only designed a few erotic book Artists illustrations, and Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) even designed no (Vol. 2) shunga at all. The excellent exception was the prodigiously gifted artist, Kawanabe Kyosai.

He produced numerous erotic prints and paintings that were fueled by his abundantly fertile imagination (and a couple of glasses of sake!) and habitually comic genius. Yet Kyosai‘s art remained effectively founded in traditional techniques and subject matter. He maintained the great warai-e (‘laughter picture’) tradition of shunga and who enthusiastically produced erotic works into the new Meiji era (1868- 1912).

Fig. 24. A wonderful example of his comic genius can be seen in the erotic ‘Meiji restoration parody’ (c. 1867) from the series ‹Kiyomizu tsuya monogatari (Tale sketches he made during painting parties (shogakai). One of these is of a Night in Kiyomizu)’ by Kawanabe Kyosai a famous scroll triptych he created in which the third scroll features a couple making love from behind. Instead of representing the genitalia On our forum in any great detail, however, Kyosai adds a comical touch with a cat (will be launched later this year!) and playing with the man’s testicles. These later paintings (c. 1880s) are blog you can find portrayed with a wonderful spontaneity and a rapid touch that is full of much more exciting info about Hokusai. movement. This is contrast with his earlier erotic prints that were full of You can also intricate detail (Fig. 24). check out other free eBooks in the following section!

25 Issue 04 12-2019 Tomioka Eisen (1864-1905)

The 25 Most Tomioka Eisen was a ukiyo-e artist who was active around the the late Important 1880s. He was a student of Kobayashi Eitaku and mainly designed Classical Shunga illustrations for newspapers and magazines. His specialty were pictures Artists of beauties, popular customs and warriors and his best-known work in (Vol. 2) shunga is ‹Poetic Intercourse (Yakumo no chirigi)’, published c. 1899.

Eisen’s style was strongly influenced by Western realism and has little in common with the work of traditional ukiyo-e studios like the Utagawa. The quality of printing in ‘Poetic Intercourse’ is superb. It seems to have been printed in various editions, with and without a table of contents and colophon.

Fig. 25. On our forum ‘Masturbating woman sitting in front of a screen’ (c. 1897-1899) from the series (will be launched later this year!) and ‘Yakumo no chigiri (Poetic Interlude)’ by Tomioka Eisen blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

27 Issue 04 12-2019 Ikeda Terukata (1883-1921)

The 25 Most Terukata, who died like his contemporary Tomioka Eisen at an early age Important (38), was a gifted pioneer of the shunga genre. He was a pupil of Mizuno Classical Shunga Toshikata (1866-1908). At Toshikata’s studio he met and later married Artists Sakakibara Shōen (1888-1917), who as Ikeda Shõen became an artist in (Vol. 2) her own right. Terukata and his colleagues were strongly inspired by the westernization of Japan in the Meiji period. A masterpiece called ‘The Poetic Intercourse’ (Fig. 26) is attributed to him.

Fig. 26. On our forum ‘Mutual oral sex’ (c. 1896) from the series ‘Yakumo no chigiri (The Poetic Intercourse)’ (will be launched by Ikeda Terukata later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

29 Issue 04 12-2019 Mission

The 25 Most At ShungaGallery it’s our express purpose to offer a sensual oasis Important in a desert of prudishness. Although the internet has ensured that Classical Shunga there are enormous opportunities for people to express themselves, Artists there is still a politically correct moral that suppresses the more bold (Vol. 2) expressions. This same puritanism also still applies within the art and museum world where the so-called risky subjects are avoided.

We will fight this by fire and sword and therefore continue to add new exciting eBooks and content on shunga and adjacent subversive topics in the future. Thanks for downloading our fourth eBook and hope to see you on the other side...!!

On our forum (will be launched later this year!) and blog you can find much more exciting info about Hokusai. You can also check out other free eBooks in the following section!

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