Page 475 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797 -1861) Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797 -1861) Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)
He Looks Fierce, but He's Really a Nice A Person Who Looks Down on Others, A Young Person Who Looks Old, from an
Person, from an untitled series of from an untitled series of composite untitled series of composite portraits
composite portraits portraits
c. 1847 -1848
c. 1847 -1848 c. 1847 -1848 Color woodblock print
Color woodblock print Color woodblock print Approx. 38 x 26 (15 x 1074)
Approx. 38 x 26 (15 x ioV4) Approx. 38 x 26 (15 x ioV4) Private Collection, Hyógo
Private Collection, Hyógo Private Collection, Hyôgo
Illustrated page 395
• Kuniyoshi's playful composite por- • This composite portrait shows a • Here Kuniyoshi constructs an image
traits are known as assembled pictures man with a prominent jutting jaw,
474 (yose-e) or jigsaw pictures (hame-e). coincidentally resembling America's of a women who superficially looks old
This example is typical: a cluster of favorite lantern-jawed cartoon char- and proper, slightly formal, demurely
small, mostly naked human bodies in acter, Popeye the Sailorman. As with proffering a tea cup. But beneath the
gentlest exterior, we discover the most
various contortions have been shaped the previous example, the man's face
into the strange face of a person. is composed entirely of small human unsettling realities. Visually disentan-
The nose and brows are formed by forms, except that here the eye is gling her face we discover it is com-
and
posed of figures of naked men
the naked man in a crouched posi- created by a black-lacquer rice bowl.
tion. The hair is made of the body of a Looking closely, we see that his women in contorted poses. The hair
black man holding a thick club of whiskers are actually a dark blue tat- is formed by women in black-striped
robes. Eyes are indicated by hair
some sort. Eyebrows are indicated by too on a naked man's shoulder. The patches of naked men, while her
a pair of men's black loincloths, artist titled this print "A person who
whiskers by the wispy locks of a bald looks down on others." Apparently tongue appears to be a red-lacquer
utensil of some sort with a three-
man's head. The upper and lower to suggest that through working comma pattern. Her hands are formed
lips are indicated by red cloth. together, people can resolve their
differences and become better indi- by a tangle of legs and the exposed
In the title the artist states, "He looks viduals, he adds the moralizing posterior of what might be a couple
fierce, but he's really a nice person," equation: "Though everyone thinks copulating. Her understated light
and adds the moralizing statement, brown cotton robe with squarish white
"Many people have come together to and feels differently, if they try to patterns is offset by a red lining, in
work together in various ways, they
make a truly fine person, but in the can eventually create a new individ- typical fashion of the day.
end, it's true for everyone, without ual person." JTC The print is called "A young person
receiving something from others, one who looks old" as if to make viewers
cannot become a good person."
reflect on the superficial nature of
The so-called three stripes in a circle beautiful appearances. The artist him-
crest on the cotton robe links this self takes on the voice of the female
figure directly to depictions of the subject, adding, "I am truly grateful
legendary twelfth-century warrior that various people have come to-
Asahina Saburó made by Kuniyoshi gether to construct my face; because
and other ukiyoe illustrators. This of everyone I now have a wonderful
identification also explains the oxy- face." JTC
moronic inscription on the print, for
Asahina was indeed a warrior often
depicted with fierce demeanor of a
kabuki actor in battle makeup. But
Asahina was a beloved hero, famous
for defeating demons in an encoun-
ter with the king of hell. JTC