Portrait of Taiso Yoshitoshi by Kanaki Toshikage

Portrait of Taiso Yoshitoshi 1892

woodblock-print, print, ink, color-on-paper

woodblock-print

print

japan

ink

color-on-paper

This woodblock print by Kanaki Toshikage, created in 1892, depicts the artist's self-portrait. The portrait showcases Taiso Yoshitoshi seated in traditional Japanese attire, with detailed rendering of his clothing and the subtle texture of his skin. Kanaki Toshikage, known for his ukiyo-e style woodblock prints, captures the subject's likeness with a strong sense of realism. This artwork, now held by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, exemplifies the artist's dedication to capturing the essence of his contemporaries in their most authentic form.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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This portrait shows the artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892) who lived during a time of drastic and disruptive social change in Japan and is considered the last major ukiyo-e artist. Born into a merchant family he initially designed beautiful women and actors in the Utagawa school style he was trained in but then shifted towards realism. In 1858, he became an independent artist and focused on historical subjects. He gained a reputation as a "war artist" through his depictions of violence. This memorial portrait of Yoshitoshi was created around the time of his death by Kanaki Toshikage, one of Yoshitoshi's first pupils. Next to the portrait is the death poem which was supposedly composed by Yoshitoshi himself: Holding the night at bay / having outshone all the rest / is the summer moon.