240995
Triptych by Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1797-1861,depicting Yoshitsunes retreat in the Yoshino Mountains. 1820
Description:
240995
歌川国芳三联版画吉野山图
Triptych by Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1797-1861,depicting Yoshitsunes retreat in the Yoshino Mountains. 1820
USD20000-40000
38cmx75cm
This exceptionally rare triptych represents one of Kuniyoshi’s earliest and most important achievements. Designed around 1820, when the artist was only twenty years old, it is considered his second published triptych, predating the warrior series that later secured his reputation as one of the great masters of ukiyo-e. The scene illustrates the legendary retreat of Yoshitsune in the Yoshino Mountains, showing Satō Tadanobu locked in dramatic combat with the warrior-priest Yokawa Kakuhan. Already visible are Kuniyoshi’s signatures: dynamic composition across three sheets, the theatrical interplay of gesture and line, and detailed renderings of armor and weaponry that would define his warrior prints.Only three impressions are known worldwide, one of which is preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The present example is believed to be the only one in private hands, making this a virtually unobtainable masterpiece on the open market. Kuniyoshi’s earliest works are rarely encountered in commerce. Their combination of rarity, historical importance, and visual power places them among the most desirable prints for advanced collectors and museums.
歌川国芳三联版画吉野山图
Triptych by Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1797-1861,depicting Yoshitsunes retreat in the Yoshino Mountains. 1820
USD20000-40000
38cmx75cm
This exceptionally rare triptych represents one of Kuniyoshi’s earliest and most important achievements. Designed around 1820, when the artist was only twenty years old, it is considered his second published triptych, predating the warrior series that later secured his reputation as one of the great masters of ukiyo-e. The scene illustrates the legendary retreat of Yoshitsune in the Yoshino Mountains, showing Satō Tadanobu locked in dramatic combat with the warrior-priest Yokawa Kakuhan. Already visible are Kuniyoshi’s signatures: dynamic composition across three sheets, the theatrical interplay of gesture and line, and detailed renderings of armor and weaponry that would define his warrior prints.Only three impressions are known worldwide, one of which is preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The present example is believed to be the only one in private hands, making this a virtually unobtainable masterpiece on the open market. Kuniyoshi’s earliest works are rarely encountered in commerce. Their combination of rarity, historical importance, and visual power places them among the most desirable prints for advanced collectors and museums.
