Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川芳虎: ca. 1836-1887) (artist )
Konjin Chōgorō (金神長五郎) struggling with a three eyed demon. This is from the series Lives of Brave and Hot-blooded Heroes (Yūretsu kekki den - 勇烈血気伝)
05/1866
9.625 in x 14.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Kinchōrō Yoshitora ga
錦朝楼芳虎画
Publisher: Izutsuya Shōkichi (Marks 188 - seal 24-055)
Carver: Hori Ei
Date seal: 1866, 5th month
Van Gogh Museum - for a completely different approach to this figure by Kunichika
Lyon Collection - version by Yoshitoshi
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - a Yoshiiku triptych of otokodate including Konjin Chōgorō
Lyon Collection - another print from this series
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - Tōken Gonbei from this series
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - Ude no Kisaburō from this series In 1845-46 Kuniyoshi produced a series of designs entitled Contest of Hot-blooded Heroes in Bold Patterns for the publisher Murataya Ichigorō, a firm which may have published its last print in 1853. Yoshitora, one of Kuniyoshi's students, exact dates unknown, may have started to publish independently as early as 1843. This would mean that Yoshitora was probably aware of the series produced by his master featuring the hero shown here.
In 1866 Yoshitora designed a spectacular set of prints for Izutsuya Shōkichi entitled Lives of Brave and Hot-blooded Heroes dealing with the same heroes of the earlier set by Kuniyoshi, but this time much more up close and personal. Kuniyoshi's figures were smaller, while Yoshitora's practically filled the sheet. And yet the similarities are obvious. Perhaps this was an homage to his teacher who had died in 1861, while possibly attempting to out do the older artists works.
There is a curious difference between the Kuniyoshi version and the one by Yoshitora. In the Kuniyoshi print Konjin Chōgorō is struggling with a green two-eyed monster, while a three-eyed blue monster sits behind them looking on. A monstrous, golden, faux-Buddha is also reacting to the scene and he too has three eyes. (JSV)
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There may have been 8 prints in this series. Two of these are in the Lyon Collection.
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Illustrated in color in Japanese Yōkai and Other Supernatural Beings: Authentic Paintings and Prints of 100 Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Magicians by Andreas Marks, Tuttle Publishing, 2023, p. 9. This exact print is the one illustrated in this volume.
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Kuniyoshi treated this same theme
approximately twenty years earlier.
1850 Kuniyoshi of Utaemon IV in this role with three-eyed demon on robe.
Izutsuya Shōkichi (井筒屋庄吉) (publisher)
warrior prints (musha-e - 武者絵) (genre)
Yūrei-zu (幽霊図 - ghosts demons monsters and spirits) (genre)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Otokodate - chivalrous men (男伊達) (genre)