Fine Japanese Prints
Fine Japanese Prints
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) | Fujiwara Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight (Fujiwara Yasumasa gekka roteki) | Meiji period, late 19th century
Lot Closed
December 14, 03:16 PM GMT
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Fujiwara Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight (Fujiwara Yasumasa gekka roteki)
Meiji period, late 19th century
woodblock print, left sheet signed zu oju Taiso Yoshitoshi sha, with artist’s seals Taiso and Yoshitoshi, published by Akiyama Buemon (Kokkeido), 12th February 1883
Vertical oban, triptych: 36.6 x 72.7 cm., 14⅜ x 28⅝ in. (overall)
The full title of this print, Fujiwara no Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight, a Painting Shown at the Exhibition for the Advancement of Painting in Autumn 1882 (Meiji jugo mizunoe uma kishu Kaiga Kyoshinkai shuppinga Fujiwara no Yasumasa gekka roteki) highlights the fact that this triptych was based on a painting Yoshitoshi submitted to an exhibition of Japanese art (the Naikoku kaiga kyoshinkai) in 1882.
Both triptych and painting depict Fujiwara no Yasumasa (958-1036), the Heian period courtier, celebrated poet and flute-player. The story tells that one night while playing his flute on the Ichihara moor he was approached by Hakamadare Yasusuke (Kidomaru), a bandit, who planned to kill him. However as he was about to draw his sword and attack, Hakamadare Yasusuke was so enchanted by the music that he abandoned his plan. Widely considered Yoshitoshi’s masterpiece, this triptych is full of atmosphere and drama with these two characters captured on the windswept moor. The dark stormy clouds were hand-applied by the printer.
For another impression of the same triptych in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 11.20238-40, go to: