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The Katsukawa school (勝川派, ''-ha'') was a school of Japanese ''
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS)
(2001). Accessed 29 August 2006. * * *
Bridge of dreams: the Mary Griggs Burke collection of Japanese art
a catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on this artist (see index) {{DEFAULTSORT:Katsukawa School
The Katsukawa school (勝川派, ''-ha'') was a school of Japanese ''ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surfac ...
'' art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
was a Japanese painter and printmaker in the ''ukiyo-e'' style. He is sometimes known as Katsukawa Shunsui, having taught Katsukawa Shunshō and founded the Katsukawa school style. Shunsui was the son and student of artist Miyagawa Chōshun; he ...
. It specialized in paintings (''nikuhitsu-ga
''Nikuhitsu-ga'' (肉筆画) is a form of Japanese painting in the ''ukiyo-e'' art style. The woodblock prints of this genre have become so famous in the West as to become almost synonymous with the term "ukiyo-e", but most ''ukiyo-e'' artists w ...
'') and prints of kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
actors (''yakusha-e
''Yakusha-e'' (役者絵), often referred to as "actor prints" in English, are Japanese woodblock prints or, rarely, paintings, of kabuki actors, particularly those done in the '' ukiyo-e'' style popular through the Edo period (1603–1867) an ...
''), sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
wrestlers, and beautiful women (''bijin-ga
is a generic term for pictures of beautiful women () in Japanese art, especially in woodblock printing of the ukiyo-e genre.
Definition
defines as a picture that simply "emphasizes the beauty of women", and the ''Shincho Encyclopedia o ...
'').
The painter Miyagawa Shunsui
was a Japanese painter and printmaker in the ''ukiyo-e'' style. He is sometimes known as Katsukawa Shunsui, having taught Katsukawa Shunshō and founded the Katsukawa school style. Shunsui was the son and student of artist Miyagawa Chōshun; he ...
changed his surname to Katsukawa. One of his students, Katsukawa Shunshō
Shunshō Katsukawa ( ja, 勝川 春章; 1726 – 19 January 1793) was a Japanese painter and printmaker in the ''ukiyo-e'' style, and the leading artist of the Katsukawa school. Shunshō studied under Miyagawa Shunsui, son and student of Miy ...
, took his surname and abandoned the school's tradition of painting well-dressed beauties in favour of ''yakusha-e
''Yakusha-e'' (役者絵), often referred to as "actor prints" in English, are Japanese woodblock prints or, rarely, paintings, of kabuki actors, particularly those done in the '' ukiyo-e'' style popular through the Edo period (1603–1867) an ...
'' portraits of kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
actors, a domain once dominated by the Torii school
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simplest ...
. This new focus revived the actor print, which had lost popularity after Suzuki Harunobu's portraits of beauties rose to prominence in the late 1760s.
Shunshō introduced the ''ōkubi-e
An is a Japanese portrait print or painting in the ukiyo-e genre showing only the head or the head and upper torso. Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812) is generally credited with producing the first ōkubi-e. He, along with Katsukawa Shunshō ...
'' "large-headed picture" in the 1760s. He and other members of the Katsukawa school, such as Shunkō, popularized ''ōkubi yakusha-e'' prints and the dusting of mica in the backgrounds to produce a luxurious glittering effect.
Shunsui was the son and student of Miyagawa Chōshun
Miyagawa Chōshun ( ja, 宮川 長春; 1683 – 18 December 1753) was a Japanese painter in the ukiyo-e style. Founder of the Miyagawa school, he and his pupils are among the few ukiyo-e artists to have never created Woodblock printing ...
, and he in turn taught Katsukawa Shunshō
Shunshō Katsukawa ( ja, 勝川 春章; 1726 – 19 January 1793) was a Japanese painter and printmaker in the ''ukiyo-e'' style, and the leading artist of the Katsukawa school. Shunshō studied under Miyagawa Shunsui, son and student of Miy ...
, who is regarded as one of the leading artists of the school. Shunshō personally focused on ''ōkubi-e
An is a Japanese portrait print or painting in the ukiyo-e genre showing only the head or the head and upper torso. Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812) is generally credited with producing the first ōkubi-e. He, along with Katsukawa Shunshō ...
'' headshot actor portraits in his prints, and ''bijin'' in his paintings.
Other artists of the school included Shunchō, Shun'ei, and Hokusai (as Katsukawa Shunrō).
The Katsukawa school was created as the result of political oppression of the Kanō school
The is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting from the late 15th century until the Meiji period which began in 1868, by which time the school had divided into many di ...
of painting by the Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
around 1750. Many of the students of Chōshun and Shunsui were arrested and banished, and Chōshun died soon afterwards in 1752. Though the shogunate seemed benevolently inclined towards the Miyagawa school, Shunsui changed the name to Katsu-Miyagawa and then simply to Katsukawa.
The school was particularly popular in the last decades of the 18th century, and was renowned for its realistic actor portraits. Unlike those of the Torii school
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simplest ...
, which were more stylized, Katsukawa portraits sought to express the individual identities and personalities of those depicted. Around 1800, however, the Utagawa school
The Utagawa school () was one of the main schools of ukiyo-e, founded by Utagawa Toyoharu. It was the largest ukiyo-e school of its period. The main styles were bijin-ga (beautiful women) and uki-e (perspective picture). His pupil, Toyokuni I, too ...
rose to prominence, replacing the Katsukawa in producing the most popular actor portraits. The school thus came to an end around 1840.
Members of the school
The members of the school are alphetically listed. The names of the students are indented below their masters. *Katsukawa Shunshō
Shunshō Katsukawa ( ja, 勝川 春章; 1726 – 19 January 1793) was a Japanese painter and printmaker in the ''ukiyo-e'' style, and the leading artist of the Katsukawa school. Shunshō studied under Miyagawa Shunsui, son and student of Miy ...
(; 1726–1792)
** Katsukawa Shunbō Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active 1780–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunchō
was a Japanese designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, who was active from about 1783 to about 1795.
Although a student of Katsukawa Shunshō, Shunchō's output, which consists mostly of prints of beautiful women, more closely res ...
(, also written ; active 1780–1795)
** Katsukawa Shunchō
was a Japanese designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, who was active from about 1783 to about 1795.
Although a student of Katsukawa Shunshō, Shunchō's output, which consists mostly of prints of beautiful women, more closely res ...
(; active 1790–1800)
** (, also written ; active 1770–1790)
** Katsukawa Shun'ei
Katsukawa Shun'ei ( ja, 勝川 春英; 1762 – 13 December 1819) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist.
Shun'ei's real surname was Isoda (), and his father was a landlord named Isoda Jirōbei ().
Shun'ei belonged to the Katsukawa school of artist ...
(; 1762–1819)
*** (; active c. 1795 – c. 1805)
*** (; active 1805–1830)
*** (; active 1787–1795)
*** Katsukawa Shungyoku Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active 1800–1830)
*** (; d. 1787, active 1777–1785)
**** Katsukawa Shōju Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
( (??); active 1790–1800)
*** Katsukawa Shunkei Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active 1820–1830)
*** Katsukawa Shunkō (; active 1805–1830)
*** (; active 1800–1830)
*** (; active 1784–1800)
*** (; active 1820–1830)
*** Katsukawa Shunsai Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active 1830–1840)
*** Katsukawa Shunsei Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active vers 1810)
*** Katsukawa Shunsei Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active 1820–1830)
*** Katsukawa Shunsen
, who is also known as Shunkō II, was a designer of books and ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints. He was born in 1762 and designed prints from about 1805 to about 1821. He initially studied with the Rimpa school artist Tsutsumi Tōrin II ...
(; active ), later called Katsukawa Shunkō II ()
*** Katsukawa Shunsetsu Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
*Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), desi ...
(; active 1805–1815)
*** (; active 1820–1830)
*** (; 1770–1820)
**** (; d. 1856)
***** } (; 1837–1902)
*** (; active )
*** Katsugawa Shun'yō (; active 1820–1830)
*** Katsugawa Shunyū (; active 1805–1830)
** Katsugawa Shungyō (; active 1780–1840)
** Katsukawa Shunkaku (; active 1790–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunkō (; active 1770–1790)
** Katsukawa Shunkō (; active 1790–1820)
** Katsukawa Shunkō I
Katsukawa Shunkō I ( ja, 勝川 春好; 1743 – 1 December 1812) was a Japanese artist who designed ukiyo-e-style woodblock prints and paintings in Edo (modern Tokyo). He was a student of Katsukawa Shunshō, and is generally credite ...
(, signed also Shunō ; 1743–1812)
** Katsukawa Shunkyoku (; active 1775–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunri Katsukawa may refer to:
*Katsukawa school, school of Japanese ukiyo-e art, founded by Miyagawa Shunsui
* Katsukawa Shunchō, designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints, active from c. 1783 to c. 1795
*Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), des ...
(; active 1780–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunryū (; active 1790–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunryū (; active 1790–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunrin (; active 1781–1801)
** Katsukawa Shunrō I (; 1760–1849), later called Katsushika Hokusai
, known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. He is best known for the woodblock print series '' Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji'', which includes the iconic print ''The Great W ...
()
*** Katsukawa Shunrō II (; d. 1817, active 1785–1797), later called Utagawa Toyomaru ()
** Katsukawa Shunsen
, who is also known as Shunkō II, was a designer of books and ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints. He was born in 1762 and designed prints from about 1805 to about 1821. He initially studied with the Rimpa school artist Tsutsumi Tōrin II ...
(; active )
** Katsukawa Shunsen
, who is also known as Shunkō II, was a designer of books and ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints. He was born in 1762 and designed prints from about 1805 to about 1821. He initially studied with the Rimpa school artist Tsutsumi Tōrin II ...
(; active 1780–1800)
** Katsukawa Shunsui (; active 1770s), later called Tamagawa Shunsui ()
** Katsukawa Shunwa (; active 1790–1830)
** Katsukawa Shunzan I (; active 1778–1800)
*** Katsukawa Shunzan II (, d. 1871)
The follow artists are also associated with the Katsukawa school, though they do not bear the surname:
* Kinshōdō Sekiga (; active 1770s–1780s)
* (; 1744–1789)
** Koikawa Harumachi II (; active ), later called ()
** (; active 1800–1820), later called Banki Harumasa ()
References
Works cited
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS)
(2001). Accessed 29 August 2006. * * *
External links
Bridge of dreams: the Mary Griggs Burke collection of Japanese art
a catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on this artist (see index) {{DEFAULTSORT:Katsukawa School