Title : The Four Heavenly Kings Killing the Spider Demon

Artist : Utagawa Toyoharu

Date : c. 1770s

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : This print illustrates the story of the battle between the Spider Demon and the four friends of Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (1056-1127), who were known as the ""Four Heavenly Kings."" As is often the case in ukiyo-e depictions of ghost stories, the entire house is shown full of bizarre ghouls. (from Uki-e exhibition 2004: June-August) ALT TEXT This print was conserved with the support of the Robert F. Lange Foundation. The scene depicted in this print is from the story of Tsuchigumo, the Ground Spider. Various versions of this story exist, each of which recounts the deception of the renowned Heian-period warrior Minamoto no Yorimitsu (944-1021) and his four retainers, nicknamed the Four Heavenly Kings, by a demon ground spider. The spider was said to disguise itself in the forms of a monk, a young boy, or a beautiful woman in order to trick Yorimitsu. The spider also called on other demons to attack his enemies. Toyoharu was an early innovator in the use of Western perspective in his compositions, as demonstrated by the architecture in this print, which recedes to a single point in the distance. Toyoharu's incorporation of Western perspective distinguished him in the highly competitive woodblock print market of the time, and resulted in many imitators.

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