Utagawa Yoshitora

Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川 芳虎) was a designer of ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints and an illustrator of books and newspapers who was active from about 1850 to about 1880. He was born in Edo (modern Tokyo), but neither his date of birth nor date of death is known. He was an important pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi who excelled in prints of warriors, kabuki actors, beautiful women, and foreigners (Yokohama-e).^[1] He may not have seen any of the foreign scenes he depicted.^[2]

Examples of work

Woodblock print by Utagawa Yoshitora of a Frenchman with a geisha, 1861

Utagawa Yoshitora (1860) English Couple

Utagawa Yoshitora, Paris, France, 1862

Signatures of Utagawa Yoshitora reading from left to right:
•“Ichimōsai Yoshitora ga” (一猛斎 芳虎 画)
•“Kinchōrō Yoshitora ga” (錦朝楼 芳虎 画)
•“Mōsai Yoshitora ga” (孟斎　芳虎　画)

Notes

1. Newland, Amy. (2005). The Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints, Vol. 2, p. 505.
2. Roberts, Laurance P. (1976). A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer, p. 204.

References

• Lane, Richard. (1978). Images from the Floating World, The Japanese Print. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192114471; OCLC 5246796
• Newland, Amy Reigle. (2005). The Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints. Amsterdam: Hotei. ISBN 9789074822657; OCLC 61666175
• Roberts, Laurance P. (1976). A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer. New York: Weatherhill. ISBN 9780834801134: OCLC 185975982