Toyohara Kunichika

The year 2025 marks the 190th anniversary of the birth of Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900), an ukiyo-e artist of the Bakumatsu (final years the Tokugawa shogunate) and Meiji era. With his vivid yakusha-e (ukiyo-e pictures depicting kabuki actors), Kunichika prevailed for many years as the foremost artist of his generation. After earning acclaim for his bijinga (ukiyo-e pictures depicting female beauty), Kunichika became a rival of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Yoshitoshi’s protégé Yōshū Chikanobu. Kunichika has been hailed as deemed the most prolific ukiyo-e artist of the Meiji period. A number of Toyohara Kunichika exhibitions have already been held in Japan, but these exhibitions generally limited their scope to his yakusha-e pieces. This exhibition differs from these. Drawing from the latest scholarly findings, it presents the largest ever retrospective on Kunichika’s works, with a 210-strong selection that avoids focusing excessively on any particular genre or time period. As well as showcasing his signature yakusha-e prints, the selection also includes his bijinga, which represented another of his artistic avenues. It also includes his nikuhitsu-ga (ukiyo-e pictures that were paintings rather than woodblock prints) and the genres he dabbled during his early years as a painter, namely musha-e (ukiyo-e pictures depicting warriors) and landscapes. We hope this varied selection offers new insights into Toyohara Kunichika.

Exhibition of All 12 Pieces in the Seminal Ōkubi-e Series

This exhibition features all 12 of the key works in the Gusokuya Ōkubi-e Series, a seminal series of works by Kunichika. The exhibition includes many early works and they are preserved in good condition. The exhibition also includes nikuhitsu-ga. One such painting is “Cherry-blossom Viewing on the Sumida River Embankment”, which was exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Another is “Courtesan and Cuckoo”, which Kunichika painted while sojourning in Iwatsuki and which is the first bijinga hand drawing he released.

Various Episodes of Kunichika

Kunichika was also known for embodying the openhearted, jovial qualities associated with people born and bred in the capital Edo. Many colorful episodes occurred throughout in his life: He got into a drunken brawl with Kawanabe Kyōsai, and the fight was broken up by Yōshū Chikanobu; after falling out with Ichikawa Danjūrō XI, he drew Ichikawa with protruding eyes; he was the second person to be declared bankrupt in Tokyo; and he moved house 117 times, of which he wisecracked that he could never best Hokusai in painting but that he could best him in moving house.

Collaboration with Seikado Bunko Art Museum

In conjunction with this exhibition, Seikado Bunko Art Museum is running a series on Toyohara Kunichika from January 25 to March 23, 2025. During this period, our two museums are engaging in a number of collaborations. For example, visitors who visit one museum can get a discount on entrance fee to the other museum, and we have carried out joint research into exhibits prior to the exhibition. The outcomes of the research have been utilized in some of the exhibition content.

Admission

Adult	1200円
University and High school students	800円
Junior High School Students and below (under 15 years old)	FREE

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