Characteristics of Beauty Portraiture in Yoshitoshi Tsukioka's Art and Its Formative Influences

Characteristics of Beauty Portraiture in Yoshitoshi Tsukioka's Art

and Its Formative Influences

Yueze Liu

Nov. 15, 2023Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) was an accomplished artist who worked from the late Edo period

through the Meiji period. He went by various pseudonyms, including Ikkyūsai Yoshitoshi and,

later, Taiso Yoshitoshi. At the age of 11, he apprenticed under Utagawa Kuniyoshi, where he

learned the art of ukiyo-e and became the heir to Kuniyoshi's warrior print legacy. In his early

years, he garnered attention for his meticulous and vivid depictions of violence in "Bloody

Prints." During his middle years, he was influenced by Western art techniques such as sketching,

anatomy, and perspective, resulting in a significant shift in his artistic style. In his later years, he

returned to traditional literature-themed subjects and focused on creating beauty portraiture.

Historically, opinions about Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture have been divided. Some

critics argue that his work was not adequately recognized during his active years due to the

transitional nature of the era. Therefore, this essay aims to reevaluate the aesthetic value of

Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture and seeks to gain insights into the societal landscape of Meiji-era

Japan through the study of Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture.

In his early career, Yoshitoshi primarily focused on creating warrior prints (musha-e) and

actor prints (yakusha-e). Subsequently, he went through a creative phase centered around themes

related to the Satsuma Rebellion and the Boshin War. During this period, his compositions drew

inspiration from the portrayal of warriors and feudal lords in late Edo period war-tales (butaiga).

During his middle years, Yoshitoshi was closely engaged with new media and produced

numerous artworks depicting contemporary customs and trends of the Meiji era. In his later

years, his primary creative focus shifted to themes related to traditional Japanese literature, with

beauty portraiture becoming his predominant subject matter.

Yoshitoshi's creative career began in 1853 and came to an end in 1892, spanning

approximately 39 years of artistic production. Over the course of his career, he underwent

several significant shifts in his artistic style. Broadly speaking, Yoshitoshi's creative career can

be divided into three main periods:

Early Period: During this phase, Yoshitoshi primarily emulated the style of his mentor,

Kuniyoshi Utagawa.Middle Period: In this stage, Yoshitoshi's distinctive artistic style began to take shape,

and he concentrated on historical and realistic subject matter.

Late Period: In his later years, Yoshitoshi's artistic style stabilized, his techniques

matured, and he focused on themes related to literature.

These three periods reflect the evolution and development of Yoshitoshi's artistry

throughout his prolific career.

Looking across the history of ukiyo-e, in the early Edo period, beauty portraiture depicted

women in an idealized and standardized manner. However, during the era of Kitagawa Utamaro,

beauty portraiture gradually began to express women's emotions, marking a significant leap

forward in the genre. Utamaro's breakthrough was later inherited and developed by Kuniyoshi

Utagawa and Kunisada Utagawa of the Utagawa school. Kuniyoshi and Kunisada's beauty

portraiture, in particular, was characterized by the rich emotions of women within the

composition. This profound emotional depth and vitality were further cultivated by Yoshitoshi,

who was a disciple of Kunisada. The dignified charm and grace of women in Kuniyoshi's beauty

portraiture and the lively dynamism in Yoshitoshi's works provide a contrasting yet

complementary perspective. Both Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture share

similarities in their emotional richness, shedding light on the unique allure of Yoshitoshi's beauty

portraiture.

There is no one else but Yoshitoshi who inherited the mantle of his master. Yoshitoshi

can be seen as an extension of Kuniyoshi. His commitment to sketching, capturing motion, and

advancing his master's initiatives were deepened by his discipleship.1 Kuniyoshi and Kunisada

demonstrated the emotional richness of women's expressions in the realm of beauty portraiture,

1

Shinohara, Satoshi. "The Advancement of the Ukiyo-e Painting School: Kaburaki Kiyokata's

New Ukiyo-e and the Bunten (Japanese-style painting), Nanga, and Printmaking of the Taisho

Era." Aesthetics (2019).and their portrayal of vibrant vitality was inherited and elevated by Yoshitoshi. Simultaneously,

Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture exhibits its own unique aesthetic sensibility.

Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture can vividly express its distinctiveness in terms of the

ambiance of the paintings, emotional expressions, and compositional techniques (Fig. 1). It

provides a comprehensive and coherent understanding of how Yoshitoshi inherited and emulated

his master while forming his independent style. Through these comparisons, a deeper

appreciation of the expressive characteristics of Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture can be attained.

In terms of subject matter, another characteristic of Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture is the

incorporation of Western themes (Fig. 2). In Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture from the Meiji era

following the Meiji Restoration, elements such as suits, umbrellas, and picture frames are woven

in. The poses in these beauty portraits are photographic and realistic, reflecting the changes in

lifestyle resulting from urbanization and the establishment of interactions with the Western world

in Meiji society.

Among these themes, the subjects depicted by Yoshitoshi exhibit a significantly higher

degree of freedom compared to traditional ones. They may not always have smiles, and they may

not necessarily embody idealized figures, but Yoshitoshi's innovative depictions that represent

the real-life and customs of women in a true-to-life manner could be considered an evolution that

occurred in the Meiji era.2 In contrast to the past focus on young and beautiful women, middle

aged and elderly village women also become subjects of Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture. These

portrayals encompass not only dignity and elegance but also positive emotions like boredom and

disgust. This highlights another major feature of Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture: the depiction of

non-idealized women with negative emotions. This reflects the customs and modernity of

Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture, expanding the content of beauty expression by encompassing a

broader spectrum of human emotions.

2

Nakazawa, Maai. "An Examination of Utagawa Kunisada's Depictions of Beautiful Women:

With a Focus on Comparisons with Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Developments Leading to

Yoshitoshi." Ukiyo-e Art 2020, no. 179 (2020): 36-50.Yoshitoshi's techniques for portraying beauty are also unique and distinctive. The essence

of beauty in beauty portraiture lies in the woman's face, and Yoshitoshi shortens the face, refines

the eyebrows, delicately details the eyes, clearly distinguishes between brush strokes and ink

shades, while also emphasizing the breadth and arch of the eyebrows to create a lively and rich

expression. In the depiction of the human body, Yoshitoshi's lines are more delicate and detailed.

What is even more significant is his use of techniques such as contrast in light and shadow and

the juxtaposition of warm and cool colors. This enhances the overall sense of realism and depth

in the artwork, adding to the three-dimensionality of the composition. Furthermore, the physical

characteristics of the women depicted by Yoshitoshi to some extent reflect Western beauty

ideals.

What can be discerned through the comparison between Yoshitoshi and Kunitada is that

Yoshitoshi's characters have easily readable expressions, are emotionally rich, and

straightforward. Additionally, Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture is filled with both space and time,

capturing moments of movement, such as the flowing hair and handkerchief in "Mitate-ta Iwai

Jiroke" (Fig. 3), expressing the viewer's senses and visualizing them as still images. Yoshitoshi's

beauty portraiture appeals to both spatial and temporal aspects, allowing viewers to resonate

more directly with the art. Yoshitoshi's art is suited for rapid dissemination and the appreciation

of the general public, as it directly conveys the entire message of the scene rather than hinting at

or concealing it.

Artistic techniques in painting are not merely a means to an end, they serve the purpose

of conveying the artist's inner experiences and ultimately contribute to the overall atmosphere of

the artwork. The fundamental tone of Yoshitoshi's artwork is rooted in the research and

accumulation of his predecessors. Artworks born after the emergence of his unique style possess

multiple distinctive features, influenced not only by the artist's evolving aesthetic sensibilities but

also by the lived socio-historical environment.Ukiyo-e is an art form characterized by its artistry, commercialism, multiplicity, and

journalistic aspects, rooted in the popular aesthetic sensibility of the common people—art

created by the common people, for the common people.3 Within this context, beauty portraiture,

as a subtype of ukiyo-e, is closely intertwined with the complex social aspects of class, art,

commerce, media, and more. Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture, similarly, was influenced by the

multifaceted historical environment of its time.

Yoshitoshi's artistic practice was closely linked to the emerging medium of newspapers.

In the early Meiji period, newspapers were gradually gaining popularity. At that time, there were

primarily two types of newspapers: "large newspapers" and "small newspapers". "Large

newspapers" generally featured normative content, and their illustrations were relatively

sophisticated, focusing on significant political events.

However, since not all members of the common populace possessed comprehensive

literacy skills, many "small newspapers" targeted a broader readership and often featured

illustrated "popular tales and anecdotes" (zokudan heibon). These publications recorded

everyday life and information from the streets. Small newspapers and advertisements aimed at

the common people relied primarily on visual language such as images and photographs as their

main means of communication and promotion. They garnered the readers' attention, and their

content often revolved around well-known geisha, officials, or local events. It was quite common

in small newspapers to turn reported events into ukiyo-e prints and include illustrations related to

the themes discussed.

The essence of illustration lies in its narrative quality, and many of Yoshitoshi's beauty

portraits with themes related to enlightenment had a strong sense of storytelling. On the other

hand, narration, or storytelling, was primarily the responsibility of small newspapers. The

narrative quality of Yoshitoshi's illustrations naturally adapted to the needs of the newspapers.

3

Matsui, Hideo. Understanding Ukiyo-e: Properly Appreciating Artistry and Documentary

Value. Seibundo Shinkosha, 2012.Yoshitoshi's contemporary and fellow artist Yoshiki, who maintained the traditional style

of the Utagawa school, was overwhelmed by Yoshitoshi's realistic illustrations.4 The audience

could acquire information more quickly and straightforwardly from Yoshitoshi's art, which

resonated with the aesthetic sensibilities of commoners. This also served the needs of newspaper

publishers by boosting sales.

Similarly, newspapers had a larger readership, so more people had the opportunity to see

Yoshitoshi's ukiyo-e prints, creating more possibilities. Yoshitoshi's artwork became a means of

promotion, reaching a wider audience through newspapers. The coexistence of nishiki-e (color

woodblock prints) and newspapers provided the background for the creation and dissemination

of Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture.

During the Meiji period, Japan had close interactions with the West, but the primary

audience for ukiyo-e remained the domestic common people. Ukiyo-e served as a mirror that

affirmed the cultural and lifestyle values of the citizens, exposing people's desires with an active

"注世" (chūse) aesthetic sensibility, and conveying the customs and traditions of the common

folk.5 Yoshitoshi's beauty portraiture did not depict the nobility or upper classes but instead

embodied spontaneity and enthusiasm in expressing and exploring the beauty of the common

people, reflecting the values of this social class.

From the perspective of production and consumption, when looking at beauty portraiture,

it becomes evident that before the Meiji period, the primary function of beauty portraiture was to

serve as a reputation for courtesans and geisha, serving as a starting point for men's enjoyment.

Consequently, the women depicted in beauty portraiture were always idealized and somewhat

stereotypical. However, in the Meiji period, innovations in the cosmetics industry and the

4

Yoshida, Toshihide. "Yoshitoshi and His Surrounding Illustrations: Ukiyo-e in the Modern

Age." As mentioned in Note 6.2.

5

Wang, Xiating. "An Exploration of the Aesthetic Language of Beauty Portraiture in Edo

Period Ukiyo-e." PhD diss., 2020.introduction of Western clothing stimulated the fashion industry. Furthermore, the inclusion of

women as consumers amplified the function of beauty portraiture as both a fashion guide and

advertising. Accurate understanding of consumers became essential for survival in sales, and

advertisements tailored to different types of women gave rise to more diverse expressions of

female personalities within beauty portraiture. The women depicted in Yoshitoshi's beauty

portraiture appear lively and with distinct personalities, responding to the needs of marketing.

Before the Meiji period, ukiyo-e often featured linear, flat images without much emphasis

on shadows, creating a two-dimensional effect. In contrast, Yoshitoshi's artworks are

characterized by a realistic and three-dimensional style, showcasing significant uniqueness in his

techniques. His approach to ukiyo-e reflects the impact of Meiji-era Westernization, including

the influence of Western oil painting techniques and culture. During the early stages of the Meiji

Restoration, the government's extreme policy of Westernization led to the rapid proliferation of

foreign goods such as photography and oil paintings, which became widely available and

accessible.

The influence of photography on Yoshitoshi's paintings can be observed not only in the

presence of the camera within the frame but also in the awareness of how the depicted subject

might have been captured through a lens. In the early days of the daguerreotype, exposure times

were lengthy, requiring subjects to remain still for extended periods in front of the camera. To

enhance visual effects and stabilize their posture during these long exposures, subjects often

turned at a 45-degree angle to the camera, as seen in the example of "Shinryakuni Nijuyojito

Gozen Juunij" (Fig. 4) and many of Yoshitoshi's illustrations for newspapers. Additionally, after

the relaxation of the import ban on Chinese-translated Western books in 1720, Western painting

techniques gradually made their way into Japan, being embraced by some ukiyo-e artists.

Following the Meiji Restoration, the influx of Western art became even more rapid, which

corresponds to Yoshitoshi's early career. The socio-cultural environment of his early years had a

significant impact on his later artistic sensibilities, contributing to the heightened realism in his

ukiyo-e.During the Meiji era, Western culture influenced traditional Japanese culture, but the

qualitative changes in society and culture were not profound. Even though ukiyo-e exhibited

Westernized characteristics, it was essentially a fusion of foreign cultural elements with

indigenous culture. Yoshitoshi's ukiyo-e, absorbing the visual changes brought about by Western

photographic techniques and the realistic proportions and three-dimensional depiction of the

human body found in oil painting, incorporated Western artistic techniques into the framework

and context of ukiyo-e, creating a unique form of art rather than merely adopting Western

painting as a technique.

At the same time, it is important to recognize that the influence of Chinese culture on

Japanese culture was not as intense or prominent as the rapid Westernization in the early Meiji

period, but it is still significant and cannot be ignored. When we look at the works of Yoshitoshi,

we can see that some of his early works were themed around the Water Margin (Suikoden), and

his later works featured Ming Dynasty poetry. He also directly depicted Chinese legends such as

Chang'e (Fig. 5), the Moon Goddess. These examples indicate that Japanese culture was

influenced by Chinese culture to some extent.

The series "Tsuki Hyakushi" (One Hundred Aspects of the Moon), created from 1885 to

1892, was born in the midst of a new wave of cultural exchange between Japan and China.

During this period, Chinese popular novels flowed into Japan, literary exchanges flourished, and

Japanese culture was constantly stimulated by cultural products from the Chinese mainland.

Sino-Japanese cultural exchange matured under the peaceful isolation of the country, while new

influences from the Ming and Qing dynasties as well as the West gave rise to various customs

and etiquette. Therefore, the Edo period laid the foundation for Japanese culture, making it a

complex blend of Western and East Asian cultures.6

6

Ding, Junyi. "A Study on the Chinese Cultural Elements in Ukiyo-e's 'Tsuki Hyakushi'."

MUSEUM 2021, no. 4 (2021): 82-92.This mature and stable development continued from the Edo period into the Meiji period.

The influence of Chinese culture on Japanese culture was characterized by its long history, close

and extensive contacts, and various forms over time. This cultural exchange continued even after

the "return to Edo" period and continued to be intertwined with China's cultural symbols,

expressing a deeper connection to China's literary context in Yoshitoshi's artwork.

In this paper, the term "returning to Edo" often discussed in the context of Tsukioka

Yoshitoshi's paintings refers to the period when Yoshitoshi, around the 13th year of Meiji

(around 1880), significantly reduced his works related to contemporary customs and shifted his

focus to themes such as history, literature, folklore, and ghost stories. It is believed to signify a

phenomenon where the themes depicted in his works shifted rapidly.

As stated by Okabe Saburo (1955), "The era when the contradictory relationship between

transplant culture and traditional culture, which characterizes the modern perspective, began to

form in a balanced manner, with both coexisting, is around the 20th year of Meiji." Yoshitoshi's

notable change in the themes of his artworks aligns with the transition in the cultural landscape

during the Meiji era, where transplant culture and traditional culture shifted from confrontation

to coexistence.

The fervent acceleration of Westernization gradually entered a more sober phase during

the Meiji period, particularly in the 10s and 20s of Meiji era.7 With the rapid Westernization

policies in the Meiji era, a revival movement of traditional Japanese art, including Nihonga,

emerged as a result of reflection. 8 Traditional Japanese culture often experiences passive periods

when confronted with the strong impact of foreign cultures. However, traditional culture also

possesses strong vitality. As mentioned earlier, there were active traditionalists in the Meiji

period, including Ichikawa Danjuro, who consciously revived traditional culture. During the

7

Hishida Shunsō. "Fallen Leaves' in Meiji-era Japanese Painting." Art Education 28 (1955):

22-25.

8

Sekine, Hiroko. "Harusou and the Meiji Western-style Painting World as well as Western

Painting: Focusing on Spatial Representation." Iida City Art Museum, 1990, no. 1: 2-25.enthusiastic phase of rapid Westernization, efforts were made to preserve traditional culture. In

the 1970s and 1980s, a revival movement of traditional arts was born through the collaboration

of various perspectives and forces.

In the fourth year of the Meiji era (1871), Japanese traditional art drew wide attention at

the San Francisco International Exposition. This prompted the Meiji government to start

supporting traditional literary arts. In the 11th year of Meiji (1878), individuals like Jomin Sano

and Shuji Kawase, concerned about the potential disappearance of Japanese traditional arts due

to the wave of Westernization, founded the "Ryuikai" or later known as the "Nihon Bijutsu

Kyokai" (Japan Art Association) with government support. While they made efforts to protect

Japan's traditional culture, there was also a trend to reject Western-style painting. This rejection

of Western culture led to the differentiation of the Nihonga movement. The idea of coexistence

and integration of traditional culture and foreign culture found support from American scholar

Ernest Francisco Fenollosa. The "Kanga-kai," a small research organization, was established

under the guidance of Ernest.

It is clear that the publication of nishiki-e prints by Yoshitoshi was in line with the revival

of Edo literature in the Meiji era, considering the timing of their publication. The intentions of

the publishers would have played a significant role in this.9 Around the 10th year of the Meiji

era, a movement for the revival of traditional arts began. Yoshitoshi's work saw a significant

decrease in depictions of contemporary customs and shifted toward themes related to history and

literature. It can be observed that Yoshitoshi adapted quickly to the complex socio-cultural

landscape influenced by various factors, including societal trends and publishing intentions,

during this period of "return to Edo".

The allure of any ethnic culture should be acknowledged in the history of humanity. Its

vitality and resilience are also undeniable. The period of calmness following the fervent

Westernization was a result of both internal and external forces, representing the process of the

9

Ihara, Ayako. "Layered 'Edo' and 'Meiji' - Focusing on Yoshitoshi's Illustrations." Ukiyo-e

Art 2008, no. 155 (2008): 16-37.Japanese nation recognizing its traditional culture. Such complex cultural phenomena were

embodied by individuals of that era. This thesis argues that producers were historically and

inevitably constrained by mass consumption and the societal aesthetic environment. Yoshitoshi's

Beauty Portraiture absorbed Western artistic styles in both technique and content, and were

influenced aesthetically by Western civilization. However, his creative system and consciousness

still aligned with the framework of the society and culture of his time, making him not merely a

fervent imitator of Western art. Around the 10th year of the Meiji era, Japan was in a phase of

digesting the shock of transplantation culture and resolving the issue of cultural coexistence.

During this period, different cultural groups with varying ideologies emerged, diverged, engaged

in conflicts, and gradually moved toward coexistence. Yoshitoshi's complexity as an artist who

continued to create in such a complicated environment reflects the characteristics of the era

transitioning from late Edo to early Meiji.

Yoshitoshi adapted to the rapidly changing currents of his time and thrived in the

emerging media and complex historical and cultural environment. The stylistic culture of

Yoshitoshi's Beauty Portraiture clearly overlapped with the changing times, reflecting how the

artistic style of ukiyo-e at the end of the Edo period and the early Meiji period, which had

undergone extreme Westernization, underwent significant transformation and how it accepted

foreign cultures while finding unity in its own culture. Yoshitoshi bridged Chinese culture,

Western culture, and the characteristics of Japanese Meiji-era media, reflecting the

modernization of Japanese society and the popularization of art. Through Yoshitoshi's Beauty

Portraiture, one can gain an understanding of the social and cultural aspects of the Meiji era.Bibliography

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MUSEUM 2021, no. 4 (2021): 82-92.

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Yoshitoshi." Ukiyo-e Art 2020, no. 179 (2020): 36-50.

Sekine, Hiroko. "Harusou and the Meiji Western-style Painting World as well as Western

Painting: Focusing on Spatial Representation." Iida City Art Museum, 1990, no. 1: 2-25.

Shinohara, Satoshi. "The Advancement of the Ukiyo-e Painting School: Kaburaki

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Modern Age." As mentioned in Note 6.2.List of figures

Figure 1 : Tsukioka, Yoshitoshi. "Customs of the Inner Chambers during the Kemu-Sō Era"

from the series "Fūzoku Sanjūnisō" (Thirty-Two Aspects of Customs and Manners), 1888, ōban

print.

Figure 2 : Tsukioka, Yoshitoshi. "Desire to Take a Stroll" from the series "Fūzoku Sanjūnisō"

(Thirty-Two Aspects of Customs and Manners), depicting the customs of one's wife during the

Meiji era, 1888, ōban print.Figure 3 : Tsukioka, Yoshitoshi. "Want to Wash Hands After Playing with Mud" from the

series "Mitate Tazu Iwa", 1878, ōban print.

Figure 4 : Tsukioka, Yoshitoshi. "Noon, Twelve O'Clock" from the series "Shinryū Nijūshi

Toki" (New Selection of Twenty-Four Hours), 1880, ōban print.Figure 5 : Tsukioka, Yoshitoshi. "Chang'e Flying to the Moon" from the series "Tsuki

Hyakushi" (One Hundred Aspects of the Moon), 1885, ōban print.