Tag Archives: Hirosada

Life Through a Deluxe Lens

Posted on October 30, 2020 by toshidama

By the middle of the nineteenth century in Japan, an extraordinary art form had developed which had taken the basic single-colour woodblock print, (a form of wet ink relief reproduction common for centuries in Europe and Asia) and made it … Continue reading →

Posted in Chushingura, Hirosada, Ichikawa Danjuro, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Kunichika, Kunisada, Osaka Prints, Toyokuni III, ukiyo-e, Uncategorized, Woodblock print | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring – What Spring?

Posted on March 20, 2020 by toshidama

The spring 2020 exhibition at the Toshidama Gallery was meant to be about spring. The joy of new life; cherry blossom, budding trees, love, birth, renewal… alas,  how the world is plunged into fear and illness and despair. Life nevertheless … Continue reading →

Posted in Hirosada, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, Kunichika, Kunisada, Osaka Prints, ukiyo-e, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Osaka Mon Amour

Posted on September 29, 2017 by toshidama

Toshidama Gallery is showing a selection of fabulous prints made by the Osaka woodblock artists of the mid-nineteenth century. The show runs from October 2017 for six weeks and all of the prints are for sale. I think that for … Continue reading →

Posted in Hirosada, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Osaka Prints, Osaka School, ukiyo-e, ukiyo-e art, Yoshikuni, Yoshitaki | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Osaka and Edo… Woodblock Prints at Toshidama Gallery

Posted on July 3, 2016 by toshidama

It’s fantastic isn’t it, this great print by Hirosada from 1852. It’s one of several new prints we are showing at the Toshidama Gallery throughout July 2016. The prints are all scenes composed of more than one sheet of paper… … Continue reading →

Posted in Hirosada, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Kunisada, Toshidama Gallery., ukiyo-e, ukiyo-e art | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Francis Bacon and Japanese Prints: The Arena of the Senses

Posted on November 17, 2014 by toshidama

I have never read an art historian who has made any connection between the iconic paintings of the 20th century English artist Francis Bacon and the Japanese woodblock prints of the 19th century… which is surprising. I must suppose that … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Bucklow, Francis Bacon, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, ukiyo-e art | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s in a Face – Burmester Curves and the Art of Osaka

Posted on January 31, 2014 by toshidama

I am out of my depth here, in enquiring into the mechanics and mathematics of the common French Curve or Burmester Curve. But some observations about their relationship to the work of Osaka printmaker Konishi Hirosada (ca 1810 – 1864) … Continue reading →

Posted in Burmester Curves, Italian Renaissance Art, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, ukiyo-e art, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Japanese Snow Myths

Posted on December 22, 2012 by toshidama

For those interested in Japanese prints it will be obvious that snow is a major subject for both landscapists and narrative artists. The most desirable Hiroshige landscapes tend to be his haunting snow scenes – these great and seemingly effortless … Continue reading →

Posted in 47 Ronin, japanese woodblock prints, Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, ukiyo-e art, yoshitoshi, Yoshiwara | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Kabuki Stagecraft #1: Now You See It – Now You Don’t

Posted on March 20, 2012 by toshidama

Something which becomes slowly apparent the more that one leafs through ukiyo prints of the nineteenth century, is setting and representation of the business of the stage. Kabuki theatre represents the greatest subject for Japanese woodblock artists of the period … Continue reading →

Posted in Floating World, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Kunichika, Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, ukiyo-e art, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kasa-obake, or why not to throw away that old umbrella…

Posted on May 4, 2011 by toshidama

Here’s a film we made about the fabled one-legged umbrella demon.

Posted in Floating World, Japanese Art, Japanese Art Gallery, Japanese prints, japanese woodblock prints, Toshidama Gallery. | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boys and Girls… Gender, Kabuki and Japanese Prints

Posted on December 3, 2010 by toshidama

Japanese prints can be confusing territory for those seeking certainty. Artists of the ukiyo-e revelled in “look and compare” pictures or mitate-e as it is called. Borrowing from the traditions of poetry, mitate-e pictures play ironically with the knowingness of … Continue reading →

Posted in Floating World, Japanese Art, japanese woodblock prints, kabuki theatre, Kunisada, Toshidama Gallery., ukiyo-e art | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments