Heroes

Warrior prints, called musha-e, depict legendary tales of fierce warriors and famous heroes defeating military opponents and mythical creatures. This significant woodblock print genre merges history, legend, literature and theater to celebrate the traditional Japanese warrior culture.

From Kuniyoshi to Yoshitoshi

The towering figure of musha-e was Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the most successful of all Japanese woodblock artists during the Edo period. Creating artistically and technically groundbreaking prints, like the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Suikoden,' earned him the nickname Musha-e no Kuniyoshi or “Kuniyoshi of the Warrior Prints.” Dynamic compositions, bold facial expressions and almost caricatural depictions of the scene heightened the effect of his designs.

The genre reaches a new peak in the unique prints of celebrated Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Yoshitoshi produced many print series and a large number of triptychs, many of which are of high quality. Two of his most famous series, 'One Hundred Views of the Moon and 36 Ghosts', contain numerous masterpieces. Other musha-e artists of that time were Chikanobu and Yoshitora.