Urakusai (or Yūrakusai) Nagahide (有楽斎長秀) (artist ca 1804 – 1848)

Alternate names: Nakamura Aritsune (or Arichika) (family name - 中邑有恒 or 中村)
Chōshūsai (gō - 長秀斎)
Yūrakusai (gō - 有秀斎)

Links

Biography:

The British Museum web site says:

Print artist. Active in Kyoto/Osaka region, early 19th c. The studio name "Urakusai" may relate to his having lived near the ruins of the manor of Oda Urakusai. Some works known to include the honorific "hokkyo" (bridge of the law). Designed stencil prints (37 known) and woodblock prints (40 known) of actors. Also designed prints of beautiful women, landscapes, genre scenes.

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Laurence P. Roberts wrote in A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Paintings, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer on page 115: "Ukiyo-e printmaker. Worked in the Kyōto-Ōsaka area for a long period, during which his style changed so considerably that some critics have considered him as two different artists. Produced prints in which mica and metal pigments were used; also worked in the popular Ōsaka technique of kappa-suri. Excellent bijinga, nishiki-e, actor prints. His early style similar to that of Ryūkōsai and Shōkōsai, though more exaggerated."

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In issue 103 of Andon, in an article by Peter Ujlaki and John Fiorillo, 'Mamebon nishiki-e: Diminutive colour prints from Kamigata' on page 67, they refer to Nagahide as having been a student of Ryūkōsai Jokei.

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In Andon 72-73 Peter Ujlaki and Nakada Akifumi wrote on page 34: "Many connoisseurs of ukiyo-e, if they are familiar with stencil prínts (kappazuri-e), think in terms of two landmark series associated with Kyoto and the artist Urakusai Nagahide (active 1805-42). One is a bold-looking set of Ían prints, in octagonal format, Íeaturing kabuki actor bust-portraits c. 1806. The other, more commonly encountered, consists oÍ hosoban-síze images of teahouse courtesans, up to two dozen published annually from c. 1813 to 1822, commemorating a costume parade run in conjunction with Kyoto's Gion festival."

On page 39 Peter Ujlaki noted: "Urakusai Nagahide, who at times seems to have had a near-monopoly on actor and beautiful women stencil-print design, also produced work in many other genres." On page 40 Ujlaki refers to him as "...the ubiquitous Nagahide..."

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Matthi Forrer wrote in Stars from the stage in Osaka on page 18: "Nagahide, a pupil of the most renowned of the early Osaka print designer Ryūkōsai, is primarily known for his many stencil prints produced in Kyoto. After moving to Osaka, he designed a number of small colour prints only." (See the diptych by him in the Lyon Collection, #430.)