Japanese art and culture: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and ukiyo-e
Japanese art and culture: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and ukiyo-e
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was a great innovator within the world of ukiyo-e and he produced around 10,000 prints during his lifetime. Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) was born during a period of rapid change and this applies to the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and new reforms which altered the political and social landscape. This period of history was a far cry from his childhood during the Edo period but by the middle of the 1850s it was abundantly clear that new outside forces were impacting on Japan.
However, the revolutionary period of the Meiji period also witnessed many negatives for the ukiyo-e art movement because photography, Western art and other forces were challenging the power of ukiyo-e. Therefore, Yoshitoshi and other ukiyo-e artists needed to respond to this difficult period because new technology, new art forms, influence of Western art, photography, and other important areas, were all eating away at the influence of ukiyo-e.
In recent times the reputation of Meiji artists is continuing to grow and the same applies to the reputation of Yoshitoshi. Indeed, it is surprising why it took so long because this period of ukiyo-e was very dynamic despite all the negative forces which would soon alter the artistic landscape of Japan.
This article provides a small glimpse into the work of Yoshitoshi and by doing so it is hoped that some individuals will dig deeper in order to witness the talents of this amazing artist. After all, Yoshitoshi did much to keep the ukiyo-e art movement in the spotlight despite all the competing forces of his day.
In the long-term, Yoshitoshi and other ukiyo-e artists could not stop the onset of modernity and the mass production of Western standards, for example lithography and photography. Therefore, he and others were fighting a losing battle but he did manage to keep part of the onrushing water out and this in itself was no small achievement.
In time, Japanese woodblock print would succumb to the onset of modernity therefore the artistic beacon of Japanese art throughout the Edo period would become marginalized. Yoshitoshi clearly understood the events that were happening and this must have saddened him greatly despite respecting the new art forms which were emerging in Japan.
John Stevenson made a lovely comment about the richness of Yoshitoshi because he commented that “Yoshitoshi’s courage, vision and force of character gave ukiyo-e another generation of life, and illuminated it with one last burst of glory.”
In many ways the life of Yoshitoshi is also about the struggle of the “old world” which was being swept away because many new innovations rendered highly skilled individuals to “nothingness.” Of course, individuals like Yoshitoshi and other ukiyo-e artists in the same period are remembered for the legacy they left behind. However, in so many other fields nothing is left of family skills that had been handed down from generation to generation. This also applies to all societies which faced rapid industrialization.
Also, sadly, his life was engulfed by many dark periods and this applies to mental health issues and severe poverty which hit him hard in 1871. Yet, he did manage to rise against such adversity but then the demons of his life would eat away at his soul and he would enter dark periods of depression.
In an earlier article it was stated that “Two women had tried to support Yoshitoshi and when they had nothing left they sold themselves into the brothel which was not unusual when dire straits like this happened. In this sense Yoshitoshi put himself before both ladies and in time he would get married in 1884 and the later years of his life witnessed some of his greatest work.”
“This applies to One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (1885-1892) and New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts. Also, in the same period he created other work of importance. Therefore, the last stage of his life was fruitful despite the complex nature of Yoshitoshi but in 1891 he had another mental breakdown but this time it would completely take its toll because he never fully recovered.”
Indeed, the last few months on this earth were traumatic because not only was he in the shadow of death but given past mental issues then clearly he was a tormented soul. However, the one small saving grace was that he was allowed to leave the mental institution several months before his death and this must have brought about some comfort despite his health being so fragile. He passed away on June 9 at the age of 53 in 1892.
Yoshitoshi lived a roller coaster life whereby tremendous highs were followed be enormous lows. Of course, he also had many periods of stability but health issues, destitution from time to time, and the changing nature of society meant that all these convulsions impacted greatly on this man who was graced with so much talent. However, despite everything, he leaves a rich legacy and he was truly a great within the ukiyo-e art movement.
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