Hayashiya Shōgorō (林屋庄五郎) (publisher ca 1845 – 1863)

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Biography:

Edo print publisher (Marks 106). Artists published by this house include Gengyo, Hiroshige, Kunisada II, Kuniyoshi, Sadahide, Toyokuni III, Yoshiiku and Yoshitsuya.

[Artists in the Lyon Collection published by this house are highlighted in bold print.]

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"Hayashiya Shōgorō was only active over a short period in the middle of the nineteenth century. Around 1845, he issued his first prints, warriors triptychs by Kuniyoshi. Soon thereafter portraits of sumo wrestlers by Kunisada followed. These portraits are part of a series jointly issued with fellow publisher Ibaya Senzaburō. Hayashiya then turned toward the usual themes of the time and issued actor prints, prints of beautiful women, and prints of the "Country Genji" novel. Around 1850, he also issued one of the many Tokaidō series by Hiroshige, known as "Variations of the Formal Script Tokaidō" ("Itai reisho Tokaidō").

"In 1851, Hayashiya is listed as a member of the New Faction (Karigumi) of the Picture Book and Print Publishers Guild (Jihon toiy). His address is given as Ryōgoku Yonezawachō, however, on the prints he issued from his early years until the late 1850s he used a seal that gives Ryōgoku Hirokōji as his address. Be that is it may, from the early 1850s and even more so the mid-1850s on, Hayashiya became very active in issuing predominantly actor prints. Together with other publishers he jointly issued a number of series, among them is “Lasting Impressions of a Late Genji Collection” (Genji goshū yojō), a luxurious diptych series on the popular motif of the “Country Genji” novel...."

"Among the many actor prints Hayashiya produced is a fair amount of prints that depict the actors in half-length. From 1858 until 1859, he issued, for example, Kunisada’s series “Stories of Modern Handsome Heroes” (Tōsei suikoden). Each print of the nine original designs could stand alone but the prints can also be grouped into groups of three, each group relating to one of the Three Friends of Winter (saikan sanyū), pine, plum, and bamboo. The success of the series led the publisher to add another set of three to it at a later time."

Quoted from: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900 by Andreas Marks, page 288.

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Among the actors' images published by this house include Asao Okuyama III, Bandō Shuka I, Bandō Mitsugorō VI, Bandō Hikasaburō IV, Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII, Ichikawa Ichizō III, Ichikawa Dannosuke V, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Ichikawa Ebizō V, Iwai Kumesaburō III, Kataoka Gadō II, Nakamura Fukusuke I, Arashi, Kichisaburō III, Arashi Rikan III, Onoe Kikujirō II, Onoe Kikugorō III, Sawamura Yujirō I, Sawamura Chōjūrō V and Nakamura Tomijūrō II.

Actors published by this house that are represented in the Lyon Collection have their names highlighted in bold type above.