Utagawa kuniyoshi biography of mahatma

A Brief Biography of Utagawa Kuniyoshi

The artist who was to be known to history as Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) was born in (present-day ) in 1797.He was the son of a silk dyer named YanagiyaKichiemon and was given the name Yoshisaburô (芳三郎) at birth.At the age of 14, Yoshisaburô joined the Utagawa School of ukiyo-e artists, then headed by Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769 - 1825).Toyokuni I gave Yoshisaburô the name Utagawa Kuniyoshi; “Kuniyoshi” being a combination of the names “Toyokuni” (豐國) and “Yoshisaburô” (芳三郎).

In 1814, Kuniyoshi ended his apprenticeship and set out as an independent artist.He initially produced actor prints in the style of his teacher, which gained him little recognition.Kuniyoshi achieved a commercial and artistic breakthrough in 1827 with the first six designs of the series, The 108 Heroes of the Suikoden.The series was bases upon a 14^th century Chinese novel about the adve