Title : The Great War at Kawanakajima

Artist : Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Date : 1855

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : This print portrays Takeda Shingen’s injured warriors resting on a hill. The central figure (riding on a horse) is Yamamoto Kansuke, a talented strategist for the Takeda troops. Pictures of warriors (musha-e) were a genre of ukiyo-e that depicted famous heroes from classical literature and historical novels. In the late Edo period (19th century), many epic stories were written for expanding mass audiences. Often episodes from these stories were memorialized in commercial single-sheet woodblock prints. Musha-e sometimes were published as sets, and consequently are common in the triptych format. Ukiyo-e artists, including Kuniyoshi, attempted numerous compositional techniques in their efforts to create compelling (and occasionally comical or frightening) prints. As this print reveals, Kuniyoshi was skilled at creating ghastly scenes that attracted a growing urban audience. "Imagination, Power Humor: The Art of Utagawa Kuniyoshi" 10/14/2010 - 12/19/2010 ****************************************

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