Portrait of Yoshida Sayaemon Kanesada
Original title: Portrait of Yoshida Sayaemon Kanesada
kurzbeschreibung
Utagawa Kuniyoshi portrayed the samurai Yoshida Sayaemon Kanesada in 1852, shown full-length in traditional dress with a sword and a headband. The image is a colour woodblock print, printed with ink and colour on paper.
Description
A man stands in a white outer robe threaded with black and red patterns, worn over green trousers held by a yellow sash. A headband secures his headgear, and one hand rests on the long green hilt of his sword. A yellow shield bearing a black, bird-like figure fills the space behind him, while a red oval with Chinese characters sits at the upper right. Red, blue, green and yellow dominate the sheet; the lines stay crisp and there is no shading at all.
Context
This sheet by Kuniyoshi dates from the mid-nineteenth century, when woodblock printing was circulating widely across Japan. Yoshida Sayaemon Kanesada was a samurai, and his likeness follows the conventions of ukiyo-e, which often paraded historical and legendary figures before its audience. The portrait belongs to a series on famous warriors, giving expression to the period's fascination with samurai tradition.
Impact
Strong colours and sharp contours give the image an immediacy that borders on the poster-like. The upright stance and striking accessories underline the samurai's rank and resolve, drawing the viewer into his world.
Technique
Ink and colour were applied to paper here by means of woodblock printing. The Japanese colour woodblock allows precise lines and flat areas of colour, which in this case appear in red, blue, green and yellow. Even light without shading is one of the hallmarks of this printing method.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)