Illinois Wesleyan UniversityDigital Commons @ IWU

Honors Projects Art, School of

1967

Teaching Methods for the Art of Japanese PaintingGay BumgardnerIllinois Wesleyan University

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Recommended CitationBumgardner, Gay, "Teaching Methods for the Art of Japanese Painting" (1967). Honors Projects. Paper 3.http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/art_honproj/3

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J.A PAN

Cultural History

I. The Ancient Age (to A. D. 1185)Ii

1. The Archaic 'Period (to A. D. 646)

1st cent. B. C. Jimmu, first' Japaneseemperor, mythically placed in 660 B, C.Clan society with animistic-polytheisticShirtto religion and prominent nature myths.

4th cent. A. D. Conquest of part of Koreabrings in Chinese influences.

538 Advent of Buddhism.604 Prince Shotoku's constitution establishing

Buddhism, Confucian bureaucracy, Chinesesciences.

630 Embassy to T'ang GOina.

2. Nara Period (A. D, 646-794)

Name of period from capital at Nara.

Foreign influences:Chinese on 'politicsBuddhist on art religion

orean on e ucation.

7th cent. Golden Hall built (burnedabout 1948).

752 Great bronze Buddha statue erected.

725-94 Tern yo or golden a e of BuddhistJapanese art.

3. Heian'Period (A. D. 794-1185)

Literature

RE

c. A. D. 405 Chinese s~ript brought toJapan by Wani.

Confucianism gradually adopted butaccommodated to Shintoism.

Probably some poetry of this periodincluded in chronicles and an~hologies

of Nara period.

Golden age of court poetry. Lyric verseon nature, love, death in form of tanka(short) and naga-uua(long poem).

712 Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters)containing 111 poems in Chinesecharacters representing Japanese words.

720 Nihongi, early history in Chinese,containing 132 poems.

760 Manyoshu, greatest of early anthologiecontaining more than 4,000 poems by HitoMaro, Akahito and others.

9th cent. Kana or script derived fromChinese characters for writing Japanesephonetically.

905-922 Kokin-shu, anthology of ancientand modern poetry, edited by author ofTosa Diary, Tsurayuki.

c. 900 Ise Monogotari and TaketoriMonogotari, early prose fiction.

1967-1025 Sei Shonagon, authoress ofPillow-Book, court 1ady's sketches.

7978-1031 Murasaki Shikibu, authoress ofTale o£Genji, greatest work of fictionin Japanese.

Name~from capital -presently Kyoto. Periodof pe.aceand prosperity, of esthetic refine­ment and art.ifical manners.805 Founding Df new Buddhist sects:

Tendai (source of later sects)Shingon (esoteric Buddhism)

838 Decline of Chinese influence begins.942-1017 Genshin, monk who preached worship

of Amida ~uddha according to Jodo (PureLand) sect:.

1100 Dual Shinto, which regarded Shintogods as Boddhisatvas (Buddhas to be);

866-1160 Dominance of FUjiwara clan ofhereditary regents.

1160-1185 Dominance of Taira clan.

Lady KomachiNarihara

outstandingauthors

- II. -

II. The Medieval Age (1185-1603)

1. Kamakura Period (1185-1336);

Kyoto still center, but new administrationfrom Kamakura by shoguns (generalissimos)who dictated to emperors. Land feudalizedand bushido (way of the horse and the bow)adopted by samurai or warrior class andsupported by rising Zen'~uddhism.

1274-1281 Mongol invasions repelled.Growth of arts of picture scroll.

ceramics, and tea-drinking; and finalflourishing of architecture.

2. Muromachi Period (1336-1603)

Name from Kyoto street where the Ashikagashoguns resided. Period of strife, feudalunrest, drift of warriors to cities, andrise of commerce backed by Buddhistmonasteries. Education (in hands of Zenpriests) and arts flourish under demandfor culture by samura~.

Distinct written and spoken tongues.

Literature not abreast of other arts,but some notable prose.1153-1216 Kamo No Chomei, author of

Hojoki, accQunt of hermit life.

1213-1250 Heike Monogotari, historicalwar tales of Taira clan.

12S3-1350 Yoshida Kenko, author ofGrasses of Idleness, notable prosework.

Period considered a dark age, but muchhistorical study promoted.

13th cent. Growth of organized poetrycontests and artificial writing ofrenga (linked verse).

14th cent. Development of No drama.

16th cent. Movable type introd~ced.

Aesop's Fables translated.

1329 "Literature of Five Monasteries,"academy imitative of Chinese.

d. 1408 Yoshimitsu, shogun patron ofarts.

1~-1506 Sesshu, famous painter.15th cent. Golden and Silver Pavilions

bUilt. High points of arts of teaceremony, screen aintin, pottery.

16th cent. European re igious andtrade mis-sions.

III. Modern Age (1603-present)

1333-84 Kwanami

1364-1443 Seami,his son

chiefcreatorsof No

Capital at Edo (Tokyo). Strong feudalrule by'Tokugawas to 1868. Exclusionpolicy against Europe~ns. Suppression ofChristianity, decline of Buddhism, riseof 12th century Chinese Confucianism.

1688-1704 Genroku, period of chonin(townspeople) ascendency despiterestrictive measures. High bourgeoisculture. Arts of "f1oatin world""gay quarter.'

1700 Case of 47 ronin, martyred samurai,

Considerable learned writing aboutConfucian classics. Growth of kabuki,popular theater, and joruri, puppet stage.

1642~1693 Saikaku, popular novelist.1644-1694 Basho, most famous poet of

haiku, short poems of 17 syllables.1635-1725 Chikamatsu Monzaemon, leading

dramatist of Japan.

Growth of classical studies; commentarieson Nara and He~an writings.

1904-1905 Russo-Japan~seWar.

1945 Allied occupation of Japan

1763-1828 Issa, reviver of haiku poems.1767-1848 Bqkin, last great novelist.

European ·inf1uences in literature manifestin translations and imitations, especiallyof fiction.

1798 Kojikiden, commentaries revivedShinto.

1754-180p

1760-1849

1797-1858

Utamaro ldistin.­. guished

Hokusa~ d bl kwoo - ocHiroshige artists.

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Exhibition Schedule: First Semester, 1965-1966

KRANNER T AR T MUSEUM

University of Illinois, Champaign

Art: USA Sept. 19 - Oct. 10 Contemporary paintings by overone hundred American artists,owned by S. C. Johnson & Son,Inc. of Racine, Wisconsin. Thisexhibition is being shown inAmerican museums after an inter­national tour.

The Photographer and Oct. 17 - Nov. 7the American Landscape

Contemporary Fine Oct. 31 - Nov. 21Pres ses in Arnerica

American Drawings Nov. 14 - Dec. 5

Paint- Dec. 12 - Jan. 30

A selection of photographs bynineteen photographers workingbetween 1860 and the present

and using as their subject theAmerican landscape. The exhi­bition was organized by theMuseum of Modern Art, N. Y.

Graphic and typographic workrecently created by both tradeand private pres ses. Organizedby the Philadelphia College ofArt Typographic Workshop, theexhibition is circulated by theSmithsonian Institution.

One hundred thirty-three drawingsof wide stylistic range donewithin the last twenty years bythirty- six artists of the UnitedStates. The drawings wereselected by The Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum, N. Y.

Approximately fifty- five painting s,forty sculptures and eight assem.­blages by leading Japanese artistsproduced during the last six years.The works were chosen by staffmembers of The Museum ofModern Art.

Gibson Collection Dec. 12 - Jan. 2 Japanese paintings and printsselected from the collection of Mr.Ronald Gibson of Chestertown,Maryland, formerly a staff rnenlberof the University of Illinois. Thegroup will be lent by Mr. Gibson.

Hours: Monday through Saturday 9:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m.Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 P. m.

TILe

ex.pl.a.nai:hJM

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6

C

7

THEFLOATINGWORLD

japanese art of three cApropos to a special exhibition, October 3£ through December £3, £959

The art of the Ukiyo-e (" Floating World "-painting) school was a complex productof many social and artistic currents in Japan. It arose and grew amongst the commonpeople, such as merchants and artisans, in Edo (now Tokyo), the governmental capital ofJapan. During the reign of the Tokugawa Shoguns or military dictators, as one mightcall them (1616-1867), a wealthy and influential class of citizens emerged, and life in themetropolis soon became the turmoil that is so well known from all other great urban civili­zations. It is only natural that the population in the city developed a pictorial art of itsown, different from the one that suited the aristocratic circles with their completely differentcultural background. As one could expect, the many aspects of everyday life in the vastcity, the" floating world" of man, became the main themes of this new art: we meet thepeople at work and at ease, walking in the streets of the city or travelling outside enjoyingthe beauties of nature; we also become closely familiar with the various entertainmentsoffered by theatre and tea-house; in fact, hardly any detail in the life of the citizen of Edoin those days remains unexplored.It is of the greatest interest to note that in their occupation with the petty doings of man­kind, the Ukiyo-e artists follow the first great national artistic tradition of Japan, theYamato-e school that flourished in the Fujiwara and Kamakura periods (898-II85 and1185-1392).The art of the Ukiyo-e school was the first branch of Japanese art to attract the interestof the western world. Actually, it was appreciated here before Japanese students realizedits importance. A result is that Ukiyo-e art can probably be better studied in the Westthan in Japan itself.As the most important creation of the school of the floating world, we may count the wood-

~ at Ja~e r-~ and 'fal.rd:ilw~

Flwm tAe 'l/oJLCh.e/.Ji:.eA /tlLv.Jewn at 4/li:. Ca.Jen.drvz.and. tVeJM BtdLe.i:J..n.

Volume XXV No.2

NEWS BULLETINAND CALENDARNOVEMBER 1959

WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

THEFLOATINGWORLD

japanese art of three centuriesApropos to a special exhibition, October ]I through December I], I959

The art of the Ukiyo-e (" Floating World "-painting) school was a complex productof many social and artistic currents in Japan. It arose and grew amongst the co~mon

people, such as merchants and artisans, in Edo (now Toky?~, the g?vernmental caplt~1 ofJapan. During the reign of the Tokugawa Shoguns or mlhtary dictators, as one mightcall them (1616-1867), a wealthy and influential class of citizens emerged, and life i~ t.h.emetropolis soon became the turmoil that is s~ w~ll know~ from all other g:eat ~rban clv~ll­

zations. It is only natural that the populatIOn m the city developed a pictorial art of Itsown different from the one that suited the aristocratic circles with their completely differentcult~ral background. As one could expect, the many aspects of everyday life in the vastcity, the" floating world" of man, became the main the~es of this ne.w art: ~e me~t ~he

people at work and at ease, walking in the streets of .t~e city or travell~ng outside ~nJoymg

the beauties of nature; we also become closely famlhar With the vanous entertammentsoffered by theatre and tea-house; in fact, hardly any detail in the life of the citizen of Edoin those days remains unexplored.It is of the greatest interest to note that in their occupation with the petty doings of man­kind, the Ukiyo-e artists follow the first great national artistic tradition of Japan, theYamato-e school that flourished in the Fujiwara and Kamakura periods (898-II85 and1185-139:2).The art of the Ukiyo-e school was the first branch of Japanese art to attract the inte.restof the western world. Actually, it was appreciated here before Japanese students reallzedits importance. A result is that Ukiyo-e art can probably be better studied in the Westthan in Japan itself.As the most important creation of the school of the floating world, we may count the wood-

block print. Through the printing technique,the enormous popular demand for pictures couldreadily be met. The art of printing from carvedwood-blocks is old in the Orient, and books aswell as small Buddhist votive pictures weremade in this way for centuries before the artistsin Edo took over the technique. To begin with,during the so-called primitive period, that isfrom the middle of the seventeenth century, thepictures were printed exclusively in black ink;if colours were desired they were applied byhand. In 1741 or 174:2 the printing of eachpicture with several blocks of various colourswas invented, and the classical period began.In the beginning of the nineteenth century thedecadence was evident, both artistically andtechnically, not least because of the introduc­tion of factory-made colours that took the placeof the soft and harmonious plant colours pre­viously used. However, despite the undeniabledecline, some remarkably gifted artists wereactive in those critical years.The core around which the present exhibition

has been built is the wood-blargest part of the material i~

splendid John Chandler Bansince 19°1 in the possession I

Art Museum. This collectiostrong in works of the mastersperiod. The nineteenth centrepresented, whereas the class'weakest in the collection. Febeen possible to fill this gapsuperb prints by Sharaku (acti1and Utamaro (1753-1806), twmasters of the Ukiyo-e school.loan, the exhibition offers a suwood-block printing that is rscope as well as in its quality.It is always fascinating,andsomto have a peep into the artishow things were actually madecontains a set of the wood-blosome original wood-blocks, aniIished drawing for a print by1858) with the artist's own c

Lend"s to the exhibition:To the following lenden the Worcester Art Museum el[tendsits most cordial thanks: Mr. and Mn. Osborne Hauge andMr. Victor Hauge, Falls Church, Virginia; Mr. and Mn.Robert Treat Paine, Jr., Cambridge; Dr. Harold Philip Stern,Washington, D. C.; Mn. Langdon Warner, Essex, Massachu­setts; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Fogg Art Museum,Harvard Univenity; Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe,Hamburg, Germany; The Metropolitan Museum of Art,New York.

Handscroll (shown at lift):

Acrobats performing in a street. Detail of a painting (eigh­teenth century, artist unknown). Ink and color on paper,loA in. l[ 127~ in. Lent by The Metropolitan Museum ofArt, New York (gift of Mn. Henry J. Bemheim, 1945).

turias

block print. Through the printing technique,the enormous popular demand for pictures could:eadily be met. The art of printing from carvedNood-blocks is old in the Orient, and books asNell as small Buddhist votive pictures werenade in this way for centuries before the artists.n Edo took over the technique. To begin with,iuring the so-called primitive period, that isfrom the middle of the seventeenth century, thepictures were printed exclusively in black ink;If colours were desired they were applied byiJ.and. In 1741 or 1742 the printing of eachpicture with several blocks of various colourswas invented, and the classical period began.[n the beginning of the nineteenth century theiecadence was evident, both artistically andtechnically, not least because of the introduc­tion of factory-made colours that took the place)f the soft and harmonious plant colours pre­viously used. However, despite the undeniableiecline, some remarkably gifted artists wereactive in those critical years.The core around which. the present exhibition

has been built is the wood-block print. Thelargest part of the material is taken from thesplendid John Chandler Bancroft Collection,since 19°1 in the possession of the WorcesterArt Museum. This collection is remarkablystrong in works of the masters of the primitiveperiod. The nineteenth century is also wellrepresented, whereas the classical period is theweakest in the collection. Fortunately it hasbeen possible to fill this gap with a series ofsuperb prints by Sharaku (active 1794 and 1795)and Utamaro (1753-1806), two of the greatestmasters of the Ukiyo-e school. Thanks to thisloan, the exhi bi tion offers a survey of Japanesewood-block printing that is remarkable in itsscope as well as in its quality.I t is always fascinating, and sometimes rewarding,to have a peep into the artist's studio, to seehow things were actually made. This exhibitioncontains a set of the wood-block carvers' tools,some original wood-blocks, and also an unpub­lished drawing for a print by Hiroshige (1797­1858) with the artist's own corrections. This

The &00":

Color print by TlJs"ilsfI; SWflltU, active 1794 and 1795:Portrait of the actor Ichikawa Ebiz6 IV, probably as thearch villain of the Kabuki play Ko;"ylJH SO",lfIIaIt, TfIl[U"fI(or Tilt Lowtl Wif,'s PIIrl;-Colountl Lttltl;"X-Rspt), givenat the Kawarazaki theatre in Edo in the fifth month of 1794.Print about 15 in. l[ 10 in. Lent by the Fogg Art Museum,Harvard University (Dud Collection).

section of the show will be appreciated, it is hoped, by practicingartists as well as by those of the general public interested in thecreative and technical processes behind the works of art.To illustrate the full scope of Ukiyo-e art, a few paintings areshown together with the prints. Many of the artists of theschool painted scrolls on paper or silk as well as making designsfor prints, a few even seem to have specialized in paintingswhich were undoubtedly intended for the wealthier groups ofthe public.In the village of Otsu on the Tokaicm highway. not far fromKy6to. popular pictures of figures from the Buddhist pantheonand from story and legend were painted from the seventeenthcentury onwards. The best of these pictures have a primitivefreshness and boldness which has won them a great popularitytoday in Japan as well as in the West. A background for theOtsu paintings is suggested with help of some village potteries,in their rugged charm so appealing to modern taste. Takentogether with the works of the Ukiyo-e school, the village artshows the wide scope of Japanese non-artistocratic art, rangingfrom the highly sophisticated art of the big city to the simplestraightforward expressions of the people of the country.

Kristian Jakobsen

Ithe color whose charmis enduring

is the color that flowers purein the human heart'

This poem by Ono no Komachi,a court lady of the ninth century,appears above her portrait byKatsushika Hokusai (wood­block print done about 1810,Ish in. x 10;1 in.). The ladywas not only famous for herbeauty, frailty and pride in herglorious youth, but also for herdownfall into misery and lone­liness. Two garish contrasts inthe unpredictability of life-thefloating world.

ROGER KINNICUTT, PreJidenlDANIEL W. LINCOLN, Vice·PreJidenlALEXANDER H. BULLOCK. TreaJltrer

DANIEL CATTON RICH, DireclorKESTER D. JEWELL, A.dminiJlralorLOUISA DRESSER, Curalor of Ihe Colleclion

SHIRLEY ERRICKSON, Membership SecrelaryMembers' Council:KARL L. BRIEL, Chairman

WORCESTER ART MUSEUMADMISSION, free al all limeJ: daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special eKhibitions open Tuesdays until 10 p.m., October through April.Sundays and holidays 2 to 5 p.m. Closed Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Museum Reference Library open daily10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 ro 5 p.m.; closed Saturday afternoons. Sundays, and holidays; closed from June 1 through September.

55 Salisbury Street, Worcester 8, Mass. Telephone: PL 2·4678NEWS BULLETIN AND CALENDAR

Issued monthly, October-May. Second classpostage paid at Worcester, Massachusetts

ANY INTERESTED PERSON MAY BECOME A MEMBER BY MAKING AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION OF FIVEDOLLARS OR MORE. THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY WILL SEND FURTHER INFORMATION ON REQUEST.

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WORCESTER ART MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 1964

Fig. I MasanobuWoman Reading a LetterWorcester Art Museum

John Chandler Bancroft Collection

JAPANESE PRINTS FROM THE JOHN CHANDLER BANCROFTCOLLECTION

NOTES ON SELECTED ITEMS'

By Kristian Jakobsen

An exhibition entitled "The Floating World, JapaneseArt of Three Centuries" was held at the Worcester ArtMuseum from October to December, 1959.' It consistedof about one hundred and twenty-five works of theukiyo-e school of Japanese art which were for the mostpart taken from the holdings of the museum itself. Inorder to add some sparkling highlights, a limited numberof works of major importance were borrowed frommuseums and private collectors. The aim was to presentto the public a selection as rich and varied as possiblewithin the strict limitations of the space available. Theguiding point of view in organizing the exhibition wasthe hardly disputable one that the teeming life, not leastthe artistic life, in the heyday of Edo (now Tokyo),the political capital of Japan under the Tokugawa regime(1615-1868), can only be meaningfully illustrated by aselection of works of the greatest variety as well as of thehighest artistic quality.'

Thanks to the fact that the Worcester Art Museumin 1901 was· fortunate enough to receive as a gift fromJohn Chandler Bancroft his superb collection of Japaneseprints, covering the entire development of this branch ofukiyo-e;' and a few paintings of distinction, it was able tocontribute in a remarkable way to the high averagequality of the exhibition. As a matter of fact, in somerespects the John Chandler Bancroft Collection is of rareimportance and may be considered one of the fineaccO'mplishments of early American collecting of Orien­talia. It contains, for example, a very fine group of theearly hand-colored prints, tan-e and urushi-e, and a num­ber of superb sheets from the early days of color-printingin Japan (benizuri-e). From the "classical" period of thelast third of the eighteenth century, there are fine andrare prints of certain artists such as Harunobu, Kiyonagaand Utamaro, but the epoch in general is not so stronglyrepresented as the earlier periods. It is less remarkable,of course, that a splendid selection of works of the lead­ing artists of the early nineteenth century, Hokusai,Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi, is included in the collection.Unfortunately, a number of sheets are somewhat faded,trimmed, or in other ways maltreated and further, theentire collection was pasted on heavy board when mount-

ed, a destiny it shared with other valuable collections inthe early days of museum technique. On the other hand,the large number of rare and even apparently uniquesheets makes up for the lack of a more superficial glam­our, and turns the collection into an extremely appealingand most stimulating one, not only for the professionalstudent, always hunting for unknown sheets, but for anyspectator with a sensitive eye.

In this article six outstanding prints, representing across section of the John Chandler Bancroft Collection,will be illustrated and discussed.

The composition of the apparently unique print infig. I by Okumura Masanobu (ca. 1686-1764) is of re­markable beauty.' The solid wooden bench breaks the sur­face of the print in two parts, one above the other, butit is gracefully and softly reunited by the rhythmic curvesof the seated figure. This very simple basic design isgiven life by many exquisite details, such as the trans­parency of the fabrics of the girl's robe, especially aroundher elbow and feet, and by the simple but vivid patternof her sash (obi) that adds a playful note to the otherwiseprevailing monumentality of the design. The S-curve ofthe composition is stressed to the upper left by the poemand the signature that, besides the literary and informa­tive function, almost seem to continue the girl's conven­tional hairdo and elaborate on the theme suggested by it.The gourd-shaped seal becomes a drooping giant pearl ina piece of unbelievable jewelery. Just as accomplished asthe rhythmic composition is the great variety andsubtlety of the lines employed in this print: the calli­graphic force and virtuosity of the principal lines delineat­ing the contours and the larger features of the dress; thequiet, plain and repetitive ones describing the patterns ofthe textiles, limited by their purpose and in perfect har­mony with their humble function; and finally the spirit­ual, almost breathing lines of the face, and those of thearms and foot, sensitively descriptive. This complex sys­tem is superbly mastered, and everything has melted intoan enchanting entity of a faintly seductive mood. Forthe sake of justice it has to be said that Masanobu'soriginal drawing must have been given to a congenialengraver who made a wood block that was in itself a

Fig. 2 ToshinobuAn Unidentified Actor as a Wakashu

Worcester Art Museum, John Chandler Bancroft Collection

the figures in the print by Shigenaga was taken out of itscontext and developed into the elegant and well-balancedsingle figure; whereas it would be likely that a success­ful figure by T oshinobu might have been borrowed bythe other artist and used in a somewhat simplified form

eleventh moon of 1719" and gives a key to the date ofthe design in Worcester and TokY!5. The sheet byShigenaga has a rather crowded composition of little dis­tinction, and shows two figures of which the one to theright is very close indeed to the single figure by T oshi­nobu. It does not seem reasonable to assume that one of

marvel of artistry, and the block to a most accomplishedprinter. The black impression was finally heightenedby a sensitive handcoloring in yellow and two shades ofbrown. All the colors have mellowed with the years, andnow blend with the slightly greyish brown paper into asubdued dull shade of great beauty.

The anonymous poem (haiku) gently underlines theenchanting erotic overtones of the composition:

Yu-suzumi In the evening coolkuzetsu no fumi no She puts her thoughts to a letteromoi kana Enticing a man.'

In the signatures of several hashira-e Masanobu labelshimself as the inventor of this odd format.' A compre­hensive group of superb designs show that Masanobuperfectly mastered the challenges; it even seems as ifhitherto unknown depths of his amazing talent wererealized when confronted with the tall, narrow sheets ofpaper.8 Even if the question of the invention of thehashira-e is probably more complicated than that, it doesby no means detract from Masanobu's evident mastery.Masanobu's hashira-e form a closely related group, usual­ly, and convincingly, dated on stylistic grounds in thefirst half of the 1740's." Thus they may be seen as thelast magnificent fruit of the tradition of handcoloredprints soon to be abandoned because of the rapidly in­creasing popularity of the first color-printed sheets whichmade their appearance about the same time.

The print by Okumura Toshinobu (worked ca. 1717to 1740's) in fig. 2

10 represents an unidentified actor in therole of a wakashu, that is, a dandified young man ofcomely appearance." He stands on his high woodenclogs (geta), head and shoulders turned to his right, andholding in his hands an object wrapped in a cloth. Thefull face, delicately drawn, appears under the purple scarfcovering his forehead in a fashion that was frequentlyused. The two huge swords almost seem to pierce theyouthful figure in the boldly patterned dress. The tiedcords on the youth's wrists have in this case only a dec­orative function, but they were taken over from the typeof dress called yoroihitatare, and originally served to pullup the sleeves under the arm pieces when the dress wasworn under a suit of armor. The print is colored byhand in rose (beni), yellow and lilac. Apart from aslight darkening of the paper and an insignificant fadingof the colors, the sheet is in superb condition, and themarvelous sharpness of the impression stands out withsparkling clarity.

Only one more impression of this design is known tothe writer. It is preserved in the National Museum inTokyo." A print by the contemporary artist NishimuraShigenaga (ca. 1697-1756) in the Buckingham Collectionof The Art Institute of Chicago (fig. 3) is datable to the

15

Fig. 3Scene from a Drama

The Art Institute of ChicagoClarence Buckingham Collection

Shigenaga

Fig. 4Three Actors: Onoe Kikugoro 1, Segawa Kikunojo 1 and Bando Hikosaburo 1I

Worcester Art Museum, John Chandler Bancroft Collection

Kiyohiro

-

It was suggested by the German scholar Julius Kurthin 1925 that the print was issued as a commemorativeshortly after the death of the great onnagata (actor offemale roles) Kikunojo I in 1749.'8 A stylistic analysisand comparison with other prints by T orii artists fromabout 1750 will strongly confirm Kurth's hypothesis.

Two more impressions of this design are known to thewriter. One, badly damaged, was before 1925 in theJaekel Collection in Greifswald, Germany,'· and anotheris preserved in the Tokyo National Museum.'·

for another print which was, moreover, issued by thesame publisher's firm. If this thought is correct, the dateof the Toshinobu design would be somewhere towardsthe end of the 1710's.

In 1742 or 1743 the technique of printing the colors aswell as the black outlines of a design was developed andused for the first time, apart from a single very interest­ing example of the year KyohO 15, i.e. 1730. This was abook in two volumes entitled Chichi no On, "To myFather," commemorating the famous actor IshikawaDanjuro I, in which style and technique of Chinesecolor prints were frankly imitated with Japanese'subject matter." In the earliest ordinary Japanese colorprints only two colors were used, rose (beni) and green,the results being called benizuri-e, "beni-printed pictures."This term is also commonly used to classify prints donein other colors than beni and green, as well as those ex­ecuted in a more advanced technique employing threeand four blocks, and sometimes using superposition ofthe blocks to produce still more color shades by mixture.The print by Torii Kiyohiro (worked 1750's to 1760's)in fig. 4 is a remarkable example of a pure benizuri-ein rose and green." It represents the full realization ofthe benizuri-e style and technique. The strictly limitedbut superbly balanced and refined color scheme creates adesign which is essentially two-dimensional, being aninterplay between lines and flat colored areas. Theangle of the decorated screen and the ingenious placingof the two kneeling figures create a suggestion of spacewhich the colors safely bring back into the surface plane.The figures are all actors who can be identified throughthe crests (mon) on their robes. One of them, OnoeKikugoro I, is seen painting a portrait of Segawa Kiku­nojo I in a woman's dress, while a third actor, the youngBanda Hikosaburo II, is grinding pigments for use in theprocess of painting.'· The anonymous poem (haiku) onthe print is a play-on-words on the crests of the actors,the oak leaves on the double fan of Kikugoro and thecrane of Hikosaburo:

A more developed type of benizuri-e by IshikawaToyonobu (17II-1785) is shown in fig. 5." It repre­sents the actor Nakamura Tomijuro" in the role of atuakashu in a so far unidentified play, standing, his headturned over his left shoulder. Be carries a large sword,and wears a long gown made of a fabric with a cheq­uered pattern, known as the Ichimatsu-pattern after thefamous actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I who is said to haveintroduced the pattern after his arrival in Tokyo in 1741."The print is done in two shades of soft brown and alight blue.

The anonymous poem (haiku) reads:

A closely similar design by the same artist exists in avery beautiful impression in the Spaulding Collection ofthe Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (fig. 6)." It repre­sents the actor Nakamura Kiyosaburo in the role of thelover Hisamatsu which he played in 1758, according toKojiro Tomita. The present sheet, therefore, should bedated in the late 1750's.

The last two prints to be published in this article areexamples of the fully developed polychrome print, knownas nishiki-e, "brocade picture." The technique of print­ing with an unlimited number of blocks was the finalstage in the technical development of Japanese printing.The decisive step was taken in late 1764 or early 1765 ina number of calendar prints for the year Meiwa 2, i.e.1765, most of which were designed by the great SuzukiHarunobu (ca. 1725-1770)." It may be said with verygood reason that under Harunobu's own hands the tech­nique reached its first and fullest artistic range, even iflater artists contributed works of eminent distinctionwhich exhausted the possibilities of the technique.

The sheet of Eishosai Choki (worked 1760's to early1800'S) in fig. 7 has in fact a most interesting relationshipwith Harunobu." On a plain yellow background a youthand a girl are shown masquerading as komuso, wander­ing penitent monks of the Buddhist faith who were seeneverywhere in eighteenth century Japan.28 The coupleundoubtedly is to be identified as Komurasaki andGompachi, a pair of unhappy lovers who tried to escapetheir unfriendly surroundings so disguised.'· Originallythe komuso order was extremely strict, and was respectedby the population. But with the years it became fashion­able among the young people of the "floating world" tomasquerade as komuso, either to escape from the worldof reality and its hardship, or to gain advantages thatwere otherwise out of reach in the erotic game whichwas so delightfully played in this age. The most remark­able single feature of a komuso's costume is the vast

Plum-cherry-wisteria:Those threeStylish young men!"

Mume sal·mrafuji wa sannanwakashu date

Ah the oak-tree!The first painting of the New Year:A crane in the morning sun."

Kashiwagi-yaasahi no tsuro nofude hajime

17

Fig. 5 Toyonobu

The Actor, Nakamura Tomijuro, as a WakashuWorcester Art Museum, John Chandler Bancroft Collection

(

basket hat covering both head and neck but with twosmall eye-holes. The function of this hat reminds one ofthe Venetian mask: it prevents the wearer from beingseen, but not from observing. In the present case thetall and very slender figures carry their hats and bambooflutes (shakuhachi) in their hands. The costumes are ofa quite profane cut, being designated as religious attireonly by the special kind of scarf (kesa) worn over theshoulders. The fabrics have a rich ornamentation, thatof the girl's robe an intricate, chequered pattern printedin embossing or gaufrage (karazuri) which is hardlyvisible in the reproduction.

The signature to the lower left of the sheet means"copied by Eish6sai Ch6ki," but the sheet appears inevery way to be a typical one in the very scarce oeuvreof the distinguished artist. The slender, elongated fig­ures, the crisp, angular lines of the scarves and the vaguesuggestion of a purely lyric relationship between theyoung people are all characteristic features of his work.Nonetheless, an inscription in the upper right corner ofthe sheet reads in translation: "designed by the venerableSuzuki Harunobu." At this point another print withthe. same inscription, and the same censor's and publish­er's marks, but signed Kitagawa Utamaro utsusu shouldbe introduced (fig. 8) .30 Its subject matter is exactly thesame as that of the Ch6ki sheet, a boy and a girl in theattire of komuso, but the style of the design by Utamaro(1753-1806) is smoother, more continuous and not sopointedly dramatic. There is no doubt, however, thatthe two designs are contemporary, and the differencesrepresent individual variations of a period style that datesboth of the prints in the 1790's. During these yearsCh6ki and Utamaro stood as two of the foremost artistsof the ukiyo-e school, with only Torii Kiyonaga (1752­1815) and Ch6bunsai Eishi (1756-1829) as equals. Itseems evident that the two sheets were issued in a seriesof which they are the only survivors, or at least on oneand the same, so far unknown, occasion. One would liketo imagine that Kiyonaga and Eishi, if not other artistsas well, participated in this possible series, but no evi­del1Ce for this has so far appeared.

It immediately strikes one as peculiar that the two vari­ations on the Komurasaki and Gompachi theme shouldbe based on a design by Harunobu, for both appearindeed to be vastly different from the work of the earliermaster. But it is not so strange as it might seem at firstsight. There is a print by Harunobu, most likely a verylate one, in the oban format, rarely used by him, whichmust be the one on which Ch6ki and Utamaro basedtheir designs (fig. 9).31 The pair of komuso is by nomeans a typical Harunobu. The figures are large andfull and, compared to his usual ones, they are peculiarlydominating; indeed, they almost seem to anticipate the

later works of Harunobu's follower, Isoda Koryusai(worked mid-1760's to 1780's). But at the same time thefigures are by no means inconceivable in Harunobu'soeuvre. Taken individually they have some of the

Fig. 6 ToyonobuThe Actor, Nakamura Kiyosaburo, as Hisamatsu

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Spaulding Collection

lightness and grace, and they are related to each otherin the gentle, playful way which is typical of Harunobu.They, further, have the softness of line and contour andthe freshness yet subtlety in color which characterize theprints in Harunobu's enormous oeuvre. The two de-

Fig. 7Komurasaki and Gompachi

Worcester Art Museum, John Chandler Bancroft Collection

Ch6ki

signs of Choki and Utamaro, so typical of their time,are interesting testimonies of the indebtedness of theartists in following generations to the great innovatorHarunobu.

The last print, fig. IO, is a hitherto unpublished earlywork of the marvelous artist, immensely popular in theWest, Katsushika Hokusai (176Q-1849)'" During hislong life Hokusai used a great many names, as Japaneseand Chinese artists and writers usually did. Kako,the signature of the present print, was used by Hokusaiin the years from 1794 to 1804 as proven by datedillustrated books carrying this particular signature."Apart from the books, there are a number of singlesheets belonging to three notable series. The best knownis a set of illustrations with a strong Western air of thekabuki play Chushingura, "The Loyal Forty-sevenRonin."" Second there is a set of seven large heads onmica ground labelled Furyu nakute nana kuse, "Fanciful

Komurasaki and GompachiMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, Spaulding Collection

Harunobu

Representations of Seven Useless Habits." From thisvery remarkable and beautiful set only two are knownto the writer."' Finally there is a series of famous lovingcouples-to which the present sheet belongs."

A youth and a girl are seen walking in a landscapebelow cherry trees in full bloom. The colors of theircostumes are dominated by a dry apple green and violet,set against the dark green, pale yellow and rose of thebackground landscape. The style is quite close to thegeneral style of the late 1790's, known from such artistsas Kiyonaga, Eishi, Choki and Utamaro (figs. 7, 8), andthe sheet should be dated accordingly. But it is interest­ing to note that the design contains numerous reminis­cences of the styles of Harunobu and his followers, notleast evident in the genre-like actions of the figures.However, the faces, most of all, have an entirely personaltouch. Although they by no means violate the conven­tions of late ukiyo-e, a nervous life is present, particu­larly in the lovely face of the youth, which is beyond

Fig. 9

UtamaroKomurasaki and GompachiThe Art Institute of Chicago

Clarence Buckingham Collection

Fig. 8

(

(21

Fig. 10

"""'\

~....

Osome and Hisamatsu

vVorcester Art Museum, John Chandler Bancroft Collection

Hokusai

Ohatsu and TokubeiFormerly (1913) H. Vever Collection, Paris

any convention and creates a feeling of extreme sensitivityand acute intensity. This very individual approach canalso clearly be seen in the other sheets in the series (figs.II-I4) and seems to anticipate the profound and verypersonal interest in the human being that dominates thelater work of Hokusai, most clearly visible, perhaps, inthe fourteen volumes of Ho!(usai Manga, "Sketches ofHokusai," published from 1812 to 1849'"

The names of the lovers are given in the upper rightcorner: Osome and Hisamatsu," together with the titleof the print, Hartt no hana, "Spring Flowers." Althoughthe sheet does not have any series title, the uniform wayof writing the lovers' names as well as all stylistic featureslinks this sheet with others, all with representations offamous lovers and with the same signature. In additionto the print in fig. 10, four are known to the writer:Ohatsu and Tokubei standing with a lantern on thebank of a river (fig. II);" Date no Yosaku and Seki noKoman smoking tobacco near Mount Fuji (fig. 12) ;'.Azuma and Yogoro seated in front of a wooden fence(fig. 13)," and finally Oume in the vicinity of a templeon Mount Koya being helped by her lover Kumenosuke

Fig. II Hokusai

to bind her obi (fig. 14)." In all of the five knowndesigns from this series the composition is based on adiagonal. In four designs, figs. II-I4, perfect balance issecured by means of an interesting view of distant ele­ments of the background landscape. The diagonal in thedesign of fig. 10 is indicated through the movement ofthe girl's right hand with the fan in the upper part ofthe sheet, and the steps of both figures toward the leftin the lower part. These directions are repeated in thecourse of the brook behind the figures. Counterbalanceis secured by the branches of the cherry tree and thecloud filling the space to the upper left. The relationshipbetween figure and landscape is quite particularly suc­cessful in this sheet (fig. 10), and in the one reproducedin fig. 14, where the subtle interplay between the master­ly distribution of the elements of the design 'on the sur-·face and the suggestion of space is of absorbing refine~

ment. Already, at this early stage of his career, Hokusalreveals himself as one of the greatest pictorial composersof all times.

The similarities of the five compositions here pointedout should by no means detract from admiration of the

Fig. 12 HokusaiDate no Yosaku and Seki no Koman

The Art Institute of ChicagoClarence Buckingham Collection

ingenuity displayed in the details of the various composi­tional devices by means of which Hokusai has reachedhis superb solutions of different problems. On the con­trary, the qualities are only fully revealed when the sheetsof the series are seen together and one adds to the under­standing of the other.

These diagonal compositions are ultimately related tothe "one comer" compositions developed to perfection bythe landscape painters of the Southern Sung Academy inChina, and later spread also to Japan. For an artist asversatile as Hokusai, this type of arrangement no doubtwas part of his general artistic heritage, and thereforesomething he could not help taking up in his own artwithout being aware of it. Here is nothing of the "evoca­tive allusion" 13 otherwise so important in Far Easternpainting and graphic art.

From an historical point of view the present series de­serves attention because it, so to speak, sums up andclearly demonstrates Hokusai's indebtedness to the tradi­tions of ukiyo-e as the foundation from which he, in thefollowing years, would venture to depart with incredibleand inexhaustible power and imagination, and becauseit already contains so much of the excitement which con­tributed to making the last phase of the development ofllkiyo-e one of the truly great in its entire history.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1 The material presented here is a result of intensive work withthe John Chandler Bancroft Collection in preparation for the exhibi­tion mentioned in the beginning of the article. The notes on otherimpressions and "states" of the prints discussed here are based pri­mal'ily on ri1aterial in public and private collections in the UnitedStates, and on the pertinent literature, not least in the form of auc­tion catalogues, and thus they cannot pretend to be exhaustive. Foran opportunity to continue his studies in aspects of ul(l'yo-e on a re­search fellowship, the writer is deeply indebted to The MetropolitanMuseum of Art, New York. For help and advice cordial thanks areextended to Margaret Gentles, Chicago, Robert Treat Paine, Jr., Bos­ton, Jack Hillier, London, Jan Buhl, Copenhagen, Dr. Harold PhilipStern, Washmgton, D.C., and, last but not least, Dr. Richard Lane,Honolulu Academy of Arts, who most kindly supplied translationsat. the poems appearing on the prints. The artist's dates found inthis paper are those given by Dr. Lane on pp. 251-282 of: JamesA. Michener, Japanese Prints Jrom tile Early Masters to the iVlodem.With Notes on the Prints by Richard Lane, Rutland and Tokyo,1959 (hereafter: Michener, Prints). The most recent research onthe chronology of the artists of ul(iyo-e is found in this excellentwork. On the Japanese gloss ul(iyo and its numerous connotations,see: Richard Lane, "Review of James A. Michener, The FloatingWorld ...", in: Harvard Journal oJ Asiatic Stttdies, vol. XX, '957,pp. 330-346, esp. pp. 335ff.

2 Only a brief introduction containing a list of the lenders waspublished: Kristian Jakobsen, "The Floating World, Japanese Artof Three Centuries, Apropos to a special exhibition, October 3 I

through December '3, 1959," in: 'Worcester Art Museum, NewsBulletin and Calendar, vol. XXV, no. 2, November, 1959. A com­plete manuscript catalogue of the exhibition containing all the infor­mation given on the explanatory labels is kept in the museumlibrary. Figs. I, 2, 4, 5, and 10 of the present article are nos. 86,98, 48, 105, and 46 respectively of this catalogue; fig. 7 was notincluded in the exhibition.

"The principal part of the exhibition, in the main gallery, wasarranged according to genres, for example the theatre, city life, in­cluding figure prints of the beauties of the Yoshiwara quarter, andlandscape, though this arrangement was not dogmatically maintained.Everywhere care was taken to bring about a pleasantly suggestiveand aesthetically satisfactory entity. In addition a selection of in­terpretations of scenes from the I(ablll(i drama Chztshingllra, "TheLoyal Forty-seven Ronin," by various nineteenth century artists, anda group of highly important prints which could not for lack ofspace be accommodated in the main gallery were shown in the near­by print room. In the corridor between the two parts of the showwas a section illustrating the making of a Japallese color print bymeans of some superb blocks and preparatory drawings for printsthat were never finished (lent by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston).

Further the connections between ul(iyo-e on one side, and bothanother popular art, the Otsu-e, and the surviving aristocratic artof the Tosa school on the other side were demonstrated in theexhibition, the latter first of all through one of a pair of superband interesting scrolls of battlescenes by Chobunsai Eishi (1756­1829), entitled SeI(igalzara Gojin no Emal(i (lent by Dr. HaroldPhilip Stern), and providing a most revealing comparison with thefamous battle scroll of the thirteenth century, The Burning of theSmljo Palace in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the twofurther scrolls of the original set still preserved in Japan. See:Kojiro Tomita, "The Burning of the Sanjo Palace," in: Museum ofFine Arts Bulletin, vol. XXIII, no. '39, October '925, pp. 49-55,one ill. and one folding plate. The other scrolls are in the TokyoNational Museum, ex. Matsudaira Collection, and in the IwasakiCollection, Tokyo.

.J The number of works by each artist represented in the collectionas it was before a large number of sheets were deaccessioned in1952 were listed in: Elizabeth B. Dewey, Catalogue of an Exhibitionof Selected Prints from the Permanent Collections of the WorcesterArt Museum, October 1940, pp. 60ff.

It was at the end of December 1900 that Stephen Salisbury, III,benefactor and trustee of the Worcester Art Museum, called onJohn Chandler Bancroft at his house, 61 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston,to discuss Mr. Bancroft's offer to give his collection of Japaneseprints to the museum. On February 3, '90' Mr. Bancroft died andthe prints were sent to Worcester the following May. Over theyears a certain number of prints have been purchased to add to thecollection but the six prints discussed here were all included in theoriginal gift. Mr. Bancroft's early interest in Japanese prints is de­scribed as follows by his friend, the painter, John La Farge (1835­'9'0), in what is apparently a letter to the author quoted in: RoyalCortissoz, John La Farge, a Memoir and a Study, Boston and NewYork, 19II, pp. 122-123:

"Bancroft and myself were very much interested in Japanese colorprints and I imported a great many in the early sixties for us both,through A. A. Low. I think it was 1863. We had to risk ourpurchases entirely and got few things as we should have chosenthem, as we had at that time no persons interested in such things.We had nobody over there in Japan to buy for us with any discre­tion. The point that interested us both has not yet, I think, beenstudied out. I may be wrong, but I have never heard it discussedamong the people who have been influenced by Japanese printing orby the amateurs of those things. The very serious point to me wasthe display in certain of these color prints of landscape relations incolor. This is done so simply as to give a continuous explanationof how the painter built his scheme, and for Bancroft and myself,interested in constructing similar schemes, ;1ccording to modernscientific analyses, this Japanese confirmation and occasional teachingwas full of most serious interest."

See also: Worcester Art Museum News Bulletin and Calendar,vol. XVI, no. I, October, 1950, pp. 1-2 (where the drawing repro­duced here as fig. 15 was first published on p. I), and the memorialby La Farge reprinted on pp. 26-27 of this Annual.

'No. G '4. Height 25);2 in. (0.650 m.), width 6 3;'6 in.(0.157 m.). Hashim-e, urushi-e. Signature: Hogetsudo sho-meiO/(umura Bun/(al(u iVlasanobu sho-hitsu; gourd-shaped seal:

TanchoJai. Condition: somewhat abraded, darkened and stained;small holes repaired.

(; Romanized and translated by Richard Lane in a letter to thewriter of September 20, 1961.

'Several examples in: Helen C. Gunsaulus, The Clewence Bue-/(­ingham Collection of Japanese Prints, The Primitives, The Art Insti­tute of Chicago, 1955 (hereafter: AIC), Masanobu, nos. 89 and 90,p. 158; no. 92, p. IGl; and no. "3, p. 171.

8 In addition to those mentioned in n. 7, AIC contains the follow­ing sheets: Masanobu, nos. 93 and 94, p. 162; nos. 95 and 96, p.160; no. 97A, p. 162; no. 98, p. 161; nos. 99 and 101, pp. 163f,and no. l02, p. r65. See also: Robert Treat Paine, Jr., "Some PillarPrints by Masanobu," in: Bulletin, lvIuJeum of Fine Arts, Bostoll ,vol. LVII, 1959, pp. 40-47, 9 figs.

"Ibid., and Laurence Binyon and J. J. O'Brien Sexton, JapalleseColour Prints, London, 1923 (hereafter: Binyon and Sexton; re­printed in small format by Frederick Publications, 1954; the revisededition of 1960, edited by Basil Gray, has not been available to thewriter), pp. 35[,

'" No. G 268. Height 12 IlIrG in. (0.322 m.), width 6 llr6in. (0.154 m.). Hoso-e, urwhi-e. Signature: OIUt11U/ra Toshinobuhitsu. Publisher's mark: Hammoto. Motohama-cllo. Iga-ya. Con­dition: slightly darkened, a few minor holes repaired.

11 This definition by Frederick W. Gookin is found on the cardfor Harunobu, no. G 233, in the files of the Worcester Art Museum.

"UI(iyo-e Zenshu, compiled by the Tokyo National Museum, I-VI,Tokyo, 1956-58 (hereafter: UZ), vol. I, fig. 59.

13 AIC, Shigenaga, no. I, p. 188.11 The illustrations in question are the last four (unnumbered) of

volume II. A copy of this very rare and important work is in theSpencer Collection in the New York Public Library. See: Robert

Oume and Kumenosuke

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Spaulding Collection

Treat Paine and Alexander Soper, The Art and Arcllitectcwe ofJapan, The Pelican History of Art, vol. VIII, Harmondsworth, 1955,p. 143, and further: Julius Kurth, "Studien zur Geschichte undKunst des japanischen Farbenholzschnitts III, Harunobu-Studien I,Harunobu und der Buntdruck," in: OJtaJiatiscl,e ZeitJclmft, vol. IX,1920-22, pp. 48-80, 12 figs. (hereafter: Kurth, Studien) , esp. pp.. ,50f, and: Binyon and Sexton, pp. 28f. .

'·'No. G 19· Height 16 15lr6 in. (0.430 m.), width 12 3h6in. (0.310 m.). Obem, benizuri-e. Signature: Torii Kiyohiro hitsu;seal: Kiyohiz~o. Publisher's mark: Yamamoto !Jan. Condition:superb except for insignificant spotting.

]6 The dates of these three actors are, respectively: 1717-1782,1691-1749, and 1741-1768, see: Fritz Rumpf, Meister del japan­ischen FarbenholzschnittJ, neues uber ih"e Leben und ihre Werke,Berlin and Leipzig, 1924 (hereafter: Rumpf, MeiJter), pp. 136, 138,and 125. The Segawa Kikunojo actors are also discussed in thefollowing little known paper: H. de Winiwarter, Kiyonaga et Chol(i,illustrateurs de livres, Societe Beige d'Etudes Orientales, Liege andParis, 1924, p. 90 and appendix I, pp. 130-134.

11 Romanized and translated by Richard Lane in a letter to thewriter of September 20, 1961.

lS Julius Kurth, Die Gescllichte des japal1ischell Holzscll12itts, I-III,Leipzig, 1925, 1928 and 1929 (hereafter: Kurth, Gescllichte), vol.II, p. 338, entry 5. Here the poem is also romanized and translated.

'" Julius Kurth, Del' japanisclle Holzsclwitt, ein Abriss sewerGeschichte, Munchen, 1911, fig. 20, p. 41; see also n. 18.

20 UZ, vol. I, fig. 169."'No. G ~82. Height 15Y. in. (0.388 m.), width'6Ys 111.

(0.168 m.). Hoso-e, benizuri-e. Signature: lshil(awa Toyonobu

HokusaiFig. 14

HokusaiAzuma and YogOl'O

Ralph Harari, Esq., London

Fig. 13

hitm; seals: Ishil,awa ue/li and Toyollobu. Publisher's mark:Nishimura. Condition: excellent.

"The actor's dates are: 1719-1786, see: Rumpf, !'VIei.,ter, p. 135.'" His dates are: 1722-1762, see: ibid., p. 137. For the date of

the arrival, see: Binyon and Sexton, p. xli.2,1 Romanized and translated by Richard Lane in a letter to the

writer of September 20, 1961.25 Musum of Fine Arts, Boston, Spaulding Collection, no. 21.6259.

On Hisamatsu and his story, see n. 38.'" On this problem, see: Kurth, Studien, pp. 48-6 I; Binyon and

Sexton, pp. 43ft and 46; Rumpf, Meister, pp. 29ft, and Lane in:Michener, Prints; p. 264.

27 No. G 2178. Height 12% in. (0.321 m.), width 8% in.(0.222 m.). Oban, nishil,i-e. Signature: Eishosai Ch01,i utsusu.Censor's seal: kiwame in use only after 1790, see: Binyon and Sex­ton, pp. xxviiiff). Publisher's mark: Eijudo. In the upper rightcorner an inscription reading: Kojin Suzul,i Hartlnobu zu. Condi­tion: folded along the middle, a little trimmed, slightly abraded.

28 V.-F. Weber, "Ko-ji Ho-ten," Dictionnaire a l'usage desamateurs et collectionneurs d'objets d'art japonais et chinois, I-II,Paris, 1923 (hereafter: Ko-ji Ho-ten) , vol. I, p. 449, and: ChieHirano, Kiyonaga, A Study oj His Lije and Works with a Portfolioof Plates ... , Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1939 (hereafter:Hirano, Kiyonaga), p. 329.

,. Ko-ji Ho-ten, vol. I, p. 223, and also: P. B. Mitford, Tales ojOld Japan, I-II, London, 1871, vol. I, pp. 35-69.

30 Utamaro, Estampes japonaises, ... exposees au Musee des ArtsDecoratijs en Janvier 1912, Catalogue dresse par M. Vignier avec lacollaboration de M. Inada, Paris n.d., no. 31, pI. XII (CollectionVignier); 400 Japanese Color Prints, Collected by Arnold Genthe,Anderson Galleries, New York, January 22-23, 1917, no. 344, pI.XXI; Ul,iyo-e Taisei, I-XII, Tokyo, 1930-31 (hereafter: UT), vol.vI'!, fig. 395. The impression illustrated in fig. 8 is in the Buck­ingham Collection of The Art Institute of Chicago, no. 25.3013.

"' Signature: Suzuki Harunobu gil; see: Yoshida Teruji, HarunobuZenshu, Tokyo, 1942, pI. 149, fig. 564. Two impressions are in theMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, Bigelow Collection, no. 11.19712,and Spaulding Collection, no. 21.4658 (reproduced in fig. 9). Onemore impression was sold in 1945: Japanese Prints . .. Collected bythe Late MI'. and l\1Irs. H. P. Garland, Parke-Bernet Galleries, NewYork, April 12, 194$, no. 20, ill. p. 8 (ex Eddy Collection).

32 No. G 815. Height 9Y< in. (0.235 m.), width 6% in. (0.175m.). Chiiban, nishil(i-e. Signature: Kal(o gao Condition excellentbut a little trimmed.

33 J. Hillier, Hol,usai, Paintings, Drawings and Woodcuts, Londonand New York, 1955 (hereafter: Hillier, Hol(tlsai) , "chronologicallists ... ," pp. I26ff., nos. 39, 49-50, 61-62, 73-76, 81, and 83.

31 See comments in: Binyon and Sexton, pp. 131 (set dated"about 17<),8"), and 149; and also: Laurence Binyon, A Catalogueoj Japanese and Chinese WOOdClltS, Preserved in the Sub-Department'l} Oriental Prints and Drawings in the British j\lIuseum, London,'1916, Hokusai, nos. 27-37, pp. 307-310. Examples of a later seriesof the same play with the date 1806 are: ibid., nos. 55-65, pp. 314­316. For a comparison, see: Hillier, Hol(tlSai, pp. 22ff. Examplesof both sets are found in the John Chandler Bancroft Collection ofthe Worcester Art Museum.

35 One design, girls eating cherries, is illustrated in: Frederick W.Gookin, Illustrated Catalogue oj Japanese Color Prints, The FamousCollection oj the Late Alexis Rouart oj Paris, The American ArtAssociation, New York, February 6-7, 1922, no. 851, ill. p. 242.Impressions are in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Japanese printno. 1290, and in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, SpauldingCollection, no. 6038. The other design, girls peeping through atelescope, is seen in: Japansl,a trlimitt ur Martin Ml'l1lssons samling,Nationalmusei utstallningskatalog nr. 143, Stockholm, 1948, no.1'58. ill. pI. 29.

36 Possibly the following sheet should be considered here. A"Water Color by Kako," showing a "Single camellia flower. Fromthe late Prof. Fenollosa's Study" was listed in the sales catalogue:Japanese Color Prints, Including Primitives and Drawings jrom the

Study oj the Late Projessor Ernest Fenollosa, The 'Walpole Galleries,New York, April 17-18, 1922, no. 249, not illustrated.

", Described in: Kenji Toda, Descriptil!e Catalogue oj Japanese andChinese Illustrated Bool,s in the Ryerson Library oj TIle Art Instituteoj Chicago, Chicago, 1931, pp. 254f, and 264. See also: James A.Michener, The Hol,usai S1(etchbool(S, Selections jrom the j\lIanga,Rutland and Tokyo, 1958.

.18 The sad love story of these two young people was treated in apuppet play (joruri) by Chikamatsu Hanji (1725-1783) and alsobecame subject for l,abul,i plays such as Shimban Utazaemon. See:Aubrey S. and Giovanna M. Halford, The Kabt(!,i Handboo!" Rut­land and Tokyo, 1956, pp. 262-268, and: Asataro Miyamori, revisedby Stanley I-luges, Tales jrom Old Japanese Dramas, London, 1915,pp. II9-151, based on the same playas the account in the I-Ialfords'book. Also: Hirano, Kiyonaga, pp. 533f.

3. Yeislzi-Cho!,i-Hol(usai, Estampes japonaises ... , exposees auMusee des Arts Decoratijs en Janvier 1913, Catalogue dresse parMM. Vignier et Jean Lebel, avec la collaboration de M. Inada, Paris,n.d. (hereafter: V and I, Ho!,usai) , no. 143, pI. XLVI, also: UT,vol. IX, fig. 64. The present location of this sheet is unknown tothe writer; it does not belong to the Tokyo National Museum(letter from Richard Lane to the writer February 8, 1962).• 40 V and I, Ho!,usai, no. 144, pI. XLVI, also: UT, vol. IX, fig.

63. An impression of this design, signed Ka!,o but without thetitle of the print and in rather garish colors is in the BuckinghamCollection of The Art Institute of Chicago, no. 25.3201 (ex Fenol­losa Collection). This sheet has been chosen for illustration here(fig. 12) as an example of the late edition of the set. The key­block remains the same as in the original edition, but the colorblocks are partly substituted by new ones or recut. Of the designin fig. 13 the late edition is also known; see n. 41.

41 Hillier, Ho!(ttsai, color plate I!; this very sheet is illustrated infig. 13. See also: Catalogue oj Japanese Colour Prints ... theProperties oj Sir Daniel Hall ... , E. Reuben, ... , F. H. Evans... , a.o., Sotlleby, Wilkinson & Hodge, London, July 22-24, 1918,no. 129, ill. pI. VI!. A very faded impression is in the Museumof Fine Arts, Boston, Bigelow Collection, no. 11.20160. Like theprevious design, this one is also known in an edition without title,see: UT, vol. IX, fig. 61; a garish impression is in the Museum ofFine Arts, Boston, Spaulding Collection, no. 4490, ex Gookin Collec­tion. Besides the lack of title, an additional block has been usedfor printing of the running glaze on the bowl on the floor.

,12 The only impression known to the writer of this hitherto un­published design is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, SpauldingCollection, no. 21.10194. On the story of this unhappy couple, see:Hirano, Kiyonaga, p. 534.

43 This excellent term is used in: James Cahill, Chinese Painting,Skira Edition, 1960, p. 101.

JOHN CHANDLER BANCROFT

The jollowing paragraphs on John Chandler Bancrojt, written byJohn La Farge, appeared October II, 1901, in the Boston EveningTranscript, apparently reprinted jrom The New York Times. Itseems appropriate to print them again here in conjunction with Mr.Ja!,obsen's article. L.D.

On one of the pages of "The Martian" the hero escapes from hislove, "for his day could be so thoroughly filled up by Henley andBancroft and Armstrong and Du Maurier and the rest that therewas no room for any other and warmer passion. "

We all know a great deal about the little group of artists andliterary men to whom this passage refers. There were others thanthose mentioned here, or in the story of "Trilby," who studied arttogether at the turn of the fifties into the sixties, and in Paris. Ofthat number, Du Maurier is dead, and so, also, is John Bancroft.Of him I have seen no sufficient notice taken, and it is for thispurpose that I write you a few lines of reminiscence. John C. Ban­croft bore, however, a well-known name; he was a son of George

Bancroft, the historian, who is known more or less to all English­speaking people and to a great many in many countries.

John Bancroft was born in April, ,835, and, as a boy, throughschooling in Europe, became acquainted with French and Germanso well that he might be said to possess them as well as his ownlanguage, in which he expressed himself when writing with greatclearness and simplicity. Jn German, he corresponded with ClaraSchumann, and he was fond of using French in writing to me uponartistic matters, because of its greater precision and absence from

loose and sentimental connections of thought. Later, in r850, Ban­croft returned to America and passed through Harvard, beinggraduated in r854. Already, at this time, to judge by the drawingswhich hang on the walls of the Hasty Pudding Club, Bancroft hada talent for expression in drawing as natural as his capacity forlanguages. Like many of us, he tried law for a year, then he wentto Surinam with Dr. Morrill Wyman as a draughtsman. He broughtback an external mark of sunburn which he kept through life, be­sides a fever which for a time broke his health and perhaps influ­enced the direction of his occupations.

On going to Europe soon after, he studied painting, working first,I think, at Dusseldorf, which was one of the natural mistakes thatwe make, and later in Paris. He also knew Dresden and Madrid.But there in Paris he knew the men whom Du Maurier mentioned,English-speaking and many others, among them Mr. Poynter andMr. Whistler, now the most illustrious, and whose promise Ban­croft long ago, in the early '60S, understood and explained to me.He worked also under the influence of the great Millet, and sawsomething of Dupre, to whose work he often referred. I cannotremember whether he knew Rousseau and Corot, but he thoroughlyunderstood their works, and lived under the influence of all theartists of whom these names stand as symbols, and whom we,rather commercially, group together as a school. Of Delacroix herarely spoke, and, indeed, the turn of his studies and bent of hismind made him avoid the touch of idealism to rather a singularextent. I have known him avoid looking at photographs of someof the great Italians because the subjects of their paintings were soimportant in the appeal to the imagination that they prevented hiscritical judgment of them as representations of nature. This was aside of his intellect which was clearly marked in all his studies andcriticisms.

I did not know Bancroft until the war, which brought him backand kept both him and myself away from Europe. Circumstancesbrought us very much together, and for several years we were inconstant relation in our studies. We happened to be very much

Fig. 15John Chandler Bancroft

Worcester Art Museum (1950.276)

La Farge

27

together in Newport, which being a place quite separate and re­moved from all artistic influences, good or bad, made an ideal re­treat for individual study. Both of us had become deeply interestedin the possibility of obtaining help tram scientific bases for therepresentation of light and color. We had not only tried to absorball that had been studied out to that date, but followed with anxietythe later developments upon which we hoped to place a steadyfoundation for the art of painting.

At that time, before the birth of the so-called impressionist school,we had to remain singular and alone, for we met no sympathy inthe world of artists and critics, nor even among scientific men.But whether we were supported, Of, indeed, whether we were evenright in our inquiries and deductions, our views served to hold to­gether whatever we did as painters and to give to our studies some­thing more than the mere accidental rendering of things seen or theblind practice of the studio habit. Our dreams went further thanwhat has yet been accomplished and beyond what we ourselveswere able to carry out.

Bancroft was interrupted by the necessity of making a sufficientincome, and he abandoned painting and entered for a time upon abusiness life, which turned out to be in a short time very successful.He had been in no hurry to place his work before the public or to

obtain a standing in the world of art, looking forward, with myself,to a long struggle of continuous work for obtaining a definite andfixed position. I remember an evening on the Newport rocks, when,discussing these questions of patience in carrying out one's methods,he objected to my shorter limit for attainment. I had placed theterm of a quarter of a century as sufficient; he said that that wastoo short, and that forty years might be necessary to place one'sself adequately before the world of art.

When, later, Bancroft's means allowed him to turn to art again,he told me that he had lost the habit and practice of the painter,which he found too heavy to take up again. He turned then to thecarrying out of certain ideas of decoration, which, conformably tothe habit of his mind, were to be strictly logical and measurable.In this way he did certain things in the way of geometric design,mostly of the kind that we call Moorish, and carried out the workpersonally, giving great attention to the actual mechanical finish andfitting. It is to be highly regretted that even if he confined him­self to these narrow limits he did not deal more distinctly with theproblems of color which might be involved. For even there hiscontinuous studies might have found expression in some newer ways.He has done little for the public in this decorative way; the exam­ples being usually hidden in a few private houses or his own.

He had been, very far back, with myself, an admirer of Japaneseart, and used occasionally the examples of the landscape art of theprints as proofs of some of his general theories in the representationof colored light. On this ground we talked much, and I retain tothis day the same appreciation of the simple lessons to be derivedfrom the study of those particular examples of Eastern art.

During the last few years Mr. Bancroft had made a collection ofJapanese prints and drawings which he was gathering, together witha view of covering the entire field of the Japanese engraved work.He was in constant relation with Japan, and had gone over there in1896. His collection, which had become very large and compre­hensive, was bequeathed, I believe, to the museum at Worcester.

Mr. Bancroft's career, therefore, is a type of the many intellectualefforts which influence and help and determine the general move­ment, while the individuals whose minds have acted in this wayare little known by name to the general public which still feelstheir intentions and th!'.ir studies.

It is to be regretted that Mr. Bancroft has not left connectedstatements of his observations and theories with regard to color andlight as representable. He had so intended, and had it upon hismind only a few years before his death.

Such a work or set of notes might have been of great value tothe younger painters, who would be encouraged in the studies whichhave been going on, and would perhaps see new openings in ourart. As for myself, I am glad to have made these few notes of alife which to me, as an artist, has been of great value and influence.

A PAINTING BY THE JAPANESE PRINT ARTIST SHUNSHO

By John B. Kirby, Jr.

Fig. I

Young

Although the Ukiyo-e artists are remembered princi­pally for woodblock prints, their creative style firstemerged in the form of painting. The demand forquantity among the common people for the popular artof the day persuaded the profit-seeking artists of theTokugawa Period (1615-1868) to divert their mode ofexpression from painting to the mass-produced printswhich are so well known today.

Katsukawa ShunshO (1726-1793) is noted for his strik­ing portraits of actors. He turned out a great number ofprints on this subject which reveal his remarkable abilityin placement, color harmony, and dramatic effect. To­wards the end of his life he was in a position to retirefrom print designing and turn to painting. The prod­ucts of his brush equal (if not surpass) the prints fromwhich he gained his fame.

As paintings by Shunsh6 are rare, it is significant thata painting by this artist has been acquired for the JohnChandler Bancroft Collection (fig. 1). Young WomenWatching the Cherry Blossom Festival measures 3315/16inches in height by II 1/16 inches in width and bearsthe signature and seal of the artist. The painting con­sists of soft color washes on light brown paper mountedas a kakemono (hanging scroll). The composition showsa cluster of women under a tree peering from behind acurtain (maku) of the type used to partition outdoorareas for festive events. The condition of the painting isgood except for slight pigment losses in the vicinity of thecollars of the women's robes and the presence of horizon­tal creases in the paper.

The high quality of the composition cannot be fullyappreciated from the accompanying illustrations becausemuch of its charm and appeal is accomplished by the useof opaque washes resulting in soft and vibrant tints.White washes are delicately used on the cherry blossoms,the women's faces, the rope, and curtain. A light bluewash creates the wave design at the bottom of the cur­tain; this is echoed in the supporting rope. Bright red

ShunshoWomen Watching the Cherry Blossom Festival

Worcester Art MuseumJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection (1960.33)

adds a striking vitality and freshness to the compositionoccurring on the robe collars and again in the materialwhich extends from beneath the curtain. Shades of brownon the tree and ground complete the delicate colorharmony.

From their clothes it has been possible to distinguishthe group of women as being from the Yoshiwara districtin Edo (present day Tokyo).' This area devoted tosensual pleasures dates back to 1617 and has occupied itspresent location since 1657. Courtesans from this districtwere among the most popular subjects for the woodblockprint artists. Shunsh6 was among those who used theYoshiwara "beauties" for the subject matter of his prints.In 1776 he designed in collaboration with Kitao Shige­masa' Seiro Bijin Awase Sugata Kagame (Mirror ofBeautiful Women of the Green Houses). This threevolume collection of woodblock prints has been consid­ered by many Japanese to be among the most beautifulbooks ever published:

During Shunsh6's time, the Yoshiwara was a large en­closure surrounded by fences and canals. A central streetwas lined with houses and tea rooms. A large gate pro­vided the only means of entry; this was constantly guard­ed to prevent courtesans from escaping. Cherry treeslined the perimeter fences and were also set in tubs alongthe streets. Cherry blossoms were, therefore, characteristicof the Yoshiwara, and it is extremely probable that thescene of the Shunsh6 painting shows courtesans witness­ing festivities within this district.

A detail of the group of women in the Shunsh6 paint­ing (fig. 2) shows the group's proprietress and her maidamong several young courtesans. The proprietress(yarite) is the elderly woman wearing a cloth headpiece.To her right (our left) is the assisting attendant. Noticethat neither of these women have eyebrows. During thisperiod women shaved their eyebrows to distinguishthemselves from courtesans. The proprietress and theattendant wear less elaborate robes than their compan­ions. A humorous note is injected by Shunsh6 when hedepicts one of the courtesans peeking through a slit inthe curtain (see figures 1 and 4)'

A custom of this period which might seem unusual tous was the blackening of teeth. This was practicedat various periods in Japanese history. Upon close exam-

ination of figure 2, it is realized that darkness betweenthe lips of these women is not painterly technique butan accurate portrayal of blackened teeth-a custom thatprevailed during this era.

From the style of this painting we may date the com­position as being close to 1780. This date can be substanti­ated by the women's coiffure. The hair style in thispainting is known as torobin. This can be loosely trans­lated as "lantern sidelocks" due to a resemblance to a typeof lantern constructed by placing paper upon a bambooframe. This coiffure employed a binsashi, a flexiblemetal, shell, or bamboo device upon which the hair wasfashioned causing it to flair out at the sides. This par­ticular style was introduced in 1775 and went out of stylewith the end of the Anyei Period (1772-1781).' Thisdating concurs also with the period in which Shunshoretired from print making and turned to painting.

Among the interesting aspects of this painting is theartist's use of both simplicity and detail. This is extreme­ly noticeable in the depiction of the women's heads. Thefacial features are executed with lines of extreme brevitywhich remind us of the hikime-kagihana (a line for the

eye and a hook for the nose) tradition of the Yamato-eschool. In sharp contrast to this are the details of thecoiffures which are (pardon the choice of words) of hair­splitting exactness. The same contradiction of termsoccurs in the design or lack of it on different areas of thecurtain. In the composition as a whole, the tree reachingup into space displays marked economy of expressioncompared with the complicated placement and variationsin pose which occur within the group of women.

In typically Oriental fashion, Shunsho leaves a segmentof his total composition up to the discretion of those who

. will· view his painting. At what are the group of womenlooking? All indications from the painting plus the titlehanded down to us establish that they are watchingcherry blossom festivities; the exact nature of the celebra­tion is left to the imagination. To aid the imaginationof Westerners unaccustomed to cherry blossom viewingprocedures, figure 3, The Harugoma Dance,' a wood­block print by Torii Kiyomitsu of about 1764, depicts thetype of scene which the group of women might be wit­nessing. The blossoming cherry tree and the curtain(maku) are common to both the print and the Shunsho

Fig. 2 ShunshoDetail of figure I

Fig. 3The Harugoma Dance

The Art Institute at Chicago, Clarence Buckingham Collection (25']998)

Kiyomitsu

2'-33 are by Shunshii and 12-20 and 34-48 are by Shigen1asa. Thehair styles in this series are similar to those in Young WomenWatching the Cherry Blossom Festival.

-, See Laurence Binyon and J. J. O'Brien Sexton, {apalleJe ColollrPrints, London, 1923, p. 69.

'Owned by The Art Institute of Chicago, Clarence BuckinghamCollection, and reproduced with their permission. Torii Kiyomitsu:1735-1785.

painting, but the former shows a view of the festiveactivities rather than spectators peeking in from outsidethe curtain. The print depicts elaborate swirling cos­tumes, dancing, music, special food and salce-all repre­sentative of the gaiety which accompanies the season ofcherry trees in flower.

The Worcester Art Museum is fortunate in obtainingthis valuable addition to the John Chandler BancroftCollection as this painting enables us--'-like a womanpeeking through a slit in a curtain-to have a glimpse ofShunsh6's mastery of painting and a glance at one of hiscompositions of a gay and festive nature.

NOTES A JD REFERENCES

J For information on eighteenth century costumes and customs Iam deeply indebted to Gen Itasaka of Tokyo University. Mr. Itasakais currently Visiting Lecturer on Japanese Language and Literatureat Harvard Uni\'ersit},.

:! Kitao Shigcmasa, 1739-1820.;0 The entire series of forty-eight prints from these volumes are in

the John Chandler Bancroft Collection of the Worcester Art Museum.The three volumes were published on February] 9, 1776, by Tsuta- Fig. 4ya }llzaburii and Yamazaki Kinbei, both of Edo. Prints I-IT and

31

Detail of figul'e I

Shunsho

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