Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI
(Japan 1839–1892)
The twilight beauty (Chapter 4)
- Other titles:
- Chapter Yûgao of the Tale of Genji
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Yoshitoshi, known as Taiso Yoshitoshi from 1873, was one of the ukiyo-e masters of the late Edo - early Meiji period, and is known particularly for the energy and emotion of his work, which reflects the modern sensitivity.
This print is from a series of one hundred images of the moon. The series is considered one of the best from his later career, alongside the series of thirty-six monsters. The subject of this print is a modern image of The Tale of Genji, the classical literature, which inspired countless images of ukiyo-e. Yugao is one of Genji's beautiful love who is cursed to death by a jealous lady of a higher rank who has been estranged from Prince Genji. The name Yugao literally means `Evening Face' and is also a name of the flower of the gourd family, so called because it opens in the evening. Yoshitoshi depicted a melancholic image of this unfortunate young woman with the flower of her namesake.
- Place of origin
-
Japan
- Period
- Japan: Meiji period 1868–1912
- Year
- 1886
- Media
- Medium
- colour woodcut
- Dimensions
- Ôban tate-e: 32.9 x 22.3cm image; 35.3 x 24.2cm sheet
- Signature & date
- Signed l.r., in Japanese, ink [incised on block] "Yoshitoshi". Signed l.r., in Japanese, ink [stamped] "Taiso [artist's seal]". Not dated.
- Credit
- Purchased 1994
- Accession number
- 648.1994
