Akashi Ridayu Hidemoto
ca. 1848
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Vertical ōban; Image: 14 3/4 × 10 1/8 in. (37.5 × 25.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Arnold Weinstein Gift, 2001
Accession Number
2001.715.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi portrays Akashi Ridayu Hidemoto, figure from Japan’s rich samurai tradition. Created around 1848 during the Edo period, the work exemplifies the ukiyo-e style for which Kuniyoshi renowned. His dynamic compositions featured warriors and heroes rendered with bold lines and colors that captured the public’s imagination. Woodblock printing allowed artists like Kuniyoshi to produce affordable, high-quality images that reached a wide audience beyond the elite. Ink and color applied to paper in multiple impressions created depth and drama, making pr...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...