Shigemasa Kitao

Kitabatake was an ukiyo-e artist from the late Edo period. His given name was Kanetomo, his pen name was Hiei, and he was also known by the names Kyugoro, Karan, and Kosuisai. He was born as the eldest son of Saburobei Suharaya, a bookshop in Kodenmacho 1-chome, Edo. He developed his talent as an artist through self-study, and handed over the family business to his younger brother to become an ukiyo-e artist. He started drawing at the end of the Horeki period (1751-1764), leaving behind a legacy of benizurie (red-printed pictures of actors), and was active as one of the most influential artists after Suzuki Harunobu during the early days of nishikie (colored woodblock prints) in the Meiwa period (1764-1772). He reached his peak during the An'ei and Tenmei periods (1772-1789), and excelled in vivid depictions of social customs, especially in pleasure quarters. He produced excellent sets of nishiki-e prints such as "Beauties of the East, West, North and South" and "Eight Views of the Lady Shinagawa," but picture books and illustrated books far outnumber his works. His most famous picture book is "Seiro Bijin Awase Sugata Kagami" (1776), a collaboration with Katsukawa Shunsho, and he produced over 100 illustrations for yellow-covered books. His pupils included Kitao Masayoshi (Kuwagata Keisai), Kitao Masanobu (Sankyoden), and Kubo Shunman, and together they formed the Kitao school of painting.

[Tadashi Kobayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の浮世絵師。北畠(きたばたけ)氏。名は兼儔(かねとも)、字(あざな)は非羸(ひえい)、通称久五郎、花藍(からん)、紅翠斎(こうすいさい)などと号した。江戸小伝馬町一丁目の書肆(しょし)須原屋三郎兵衛の長男として生まれる。独学自習のうちに画才を伸ばし家業を弟に譲って浮世絵師となる。宝暦(ほうれき)（1751～1764）の末ごろから作画して紅摺絵(べにずりえ)の役者絵を残し、明和(めいわ)年間（1764～1772）の錦絵(にしきえ)草創期には、鈴木春信(はるのぶ)に次ぐ有力画家の一人として活躍した。安永(あんえい)・天明(てんめい)期（1772～1789）に全盛期を迎え、遊里を中心とする世態風俗の活写にとりわけ秀でた。錦絵に『東西南北之美人』『品川君姿八景』など優れた揃物(そろいもの)があるが、数量的には絵本、挿絵本の類のほうが圧倒的に多い。絵本としては勝川春章(しゅんしょう)との合作『青楼美人合姿鏡(せいろうびじんあわせすがたかがみ)』（1776刊）が名高く、黄表紙には100点以上も作画している。門人に北尾政美(まさよし)（鍬形蕙斎(くわがたけいさい)）、北尾政演(まさのぶ)（山東京伝）、窪俊満(くぼしゅんまん)らがおり、北尾派の祖として一派を形成した。

［小林　忠］

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