Utagawa School

Japanese: 歌川派 - うたがわは

A school of ukiyo-e. Its founder was Utagawa Toyoharu, who began exhibiting his works around the Meiwa period (1764-1772), and it formed a major force in the ukiyo-e world of Edo (Tokyo) from the end of the Edo period to the middle of the Meiji period. In particular, the foundations were solidified by Toyokuni I and Toyohiro, who were Toyoharu's disciples. The Toyohiro school produced Hiroshige I, and the Toyokuni school produced such masters as Kunimasa I, Toyokuni II, Kunisada I (Toyokuni III), and Kuniyoshi. Furthermore, if we include the number of disciples of the three artists Hiroshige, Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi from the Kaei period (1848-1854) onwards, it is no exaggeration to say that the ukiyo-e world at the end of the Edo period was dominated by artists of the Utagawa school.

From the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period, Hiroshige III, a disciple of Hiroshige, Toyohara Kunichika, a disciple of Kunisada, Ochiai Yoshiiku, a disciple of Kuniyoshi, and Tsukioka (Taiso) Yoshitoshi played central roles in the Meiji ukiyo-e world, depicting the enlightened customs of the time. Yoshitoshi in particular was known as the leading figure in newspaper illustrations, but it is noteworthy that from this lineage came Mizuno Toshikata, who continued the tradition for a long time through Kaburaki Kiyokata, Ito Shinsui, and Iwata Sentaro.

[Nagata Seiji]

Utagawa Toyokuni: "The Bean-throwing Ceremony of the Seventh Generation of Mimasu, One of the Twelve Groups"
A picture of Ichikawa Danjūrō VII throwing beans. Triptych owned by the National Diet Library .

Utagawa Toyokuni: "The Seventh Generation of Mimasu, One of the Twelve Groups..."

Toyohiro Utagawa "Edo's Eight Views: Night Rain on Mt. Mt. Mt. Machi"
Included in the Ehon Edo Murasaki (Ehon Edo Murasaki), held at the National Diet Library .

Toyohiro Utagawa "Edo's Eight Views: Night Rain on Mt. Mt. Mt. Machi"

Hiroshige Utagawa, "Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces, Echizen, Tsuruga Kehi no Matsubara"
1853 (Kaei 6), National Diet Library

Hiroshige Utagawa "Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Echizen, Tsuruga..."

Utagawa Kunisada "The Scene of Kagura's Moon Showing Her Face"
Triptych, circa 1815-1817 (Bunka 12-14), National Diet Library

Utagawa Kunisada "The Scene of Kagura's Moon Showing Her Face"

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's List of Tales of the Eight Satomi Dogs
It depicts a kabuki performance at the Ichimuraza Theatre in Edo, and contains a representative scene from the story in a single painting. Triptych ( Owned by the National Diet Library )

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's List of Tales of the Eight Satomi Dogs

Toyohara Kunichika's "Picture of a Tour of the Hama Palace"
Triptych from 1890 (Meiji 23), owned by the National Diet Library

Toyohara Kunichika's "Picture of a Tour of the Hama Palace"

Yoshiki Ochiai, "Mutsuki, one of the twelve months of Yoshihara"
1869 (Meiji 2), National Diet Library

Yoshiki Ochiai, "Mutsuki, one of the twelve months of Yoshihara"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

浮世絵の一派。およそ明和(めいわ)年間（1764～1772）から作品を発表し始めた歌川豊春(とよはる)を祖とし、幕末から明治中期にかけて江戸（東京）の浮世絵界に一大勢力を形成した。とくに豊春門下の初世豊国と豊広によって基盤が固められた。豊広一門からは初世広重(ひろしげ)が出、豊国一門からは初世国政(くにまさ)、2世豊国、初世国貞(くにさだ)（3世豊国）、国芳(くによし)などの名手が輩出した。さらに嘉永(かえい)年間（1848～1854）以降の広重、国貞、国芳ら3絵師の門人数をも含めれば、幕末の浮世絵界は、歌川派の絵師によって占められていたといっても過言ではない。

　幕末から明治にかけては、広重門下の3世広重、国貞門下の豊原国周(とよはらくにちか)、国芳門下の落合芳幾(おちあいよしいく)、月岡（大蘇(たいそ)）芳年(よしとし)などが開化風俗を描いて、明治浮世絵界の中心的な役割を果たした。とくに芳年は、新聞挿絵の第一人者として聞こえたが、この系統からは水野年方(としかた)が出て、鏑木清方(かぶらききよかた)、伊東深水(しんすい)、岩田専太郎と長く画統を伝えたことが注目されよう。

［永田生慈］

歌川豊国『十二組の内　七代目三舛の豆まき』
7世市川団十郎豆まきの図。三枚続国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川豊国『十二組の内　七代目三舛の豆ま…

歌川豊広『江戸八景　待乳山夜雨』
『絵本江戸紫』所収国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川豊広『江戸八景　待乳山夜雨』

歌川広重『六十余州名所図会　越前　敦賀気比ノ松原』
1853年（嘉永6）国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川広重『六十余州名所図会　越前　敦賀…

歌川国貞『神楽月顔見せの光景』
三枚続　1815～1817年（文化12～14）ころ国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川国貞『神楽月顔見せの光景』

歌川国芳『里見八犬伝一覧』
江戸・市村座で上演された歌舞伎を描いたもので、物語の代表的な場面が一枚の絵に収められている。三枚続国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川国芳『里見八犬伝一覧』

豊原国周『浜御殿御遊覧之図』
1890年（明治23）　三枚続国立国会図書館所蔵">