Guo Ju (Kaku Kyo), from the series "Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko)"

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e prints, Utagawa Kuniyoshi's *Guo Ju (Kaku Kyo)* from the series *Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in ChinaMorokoshi nijushiko)*, created around 1848–50, captures a timeless Confucian virtue. This color woodblock print in the compact chuban format (25.2 × 17.8 cm) depicts the legendary Chinese figure Guo Ju, renowned for his extraordinary devotion to his mother amid poverty. Kuniyoshi, a master of the ukiyo-e school celebrated for his dynamic warrior scenes and historical narratives, drew from a popular Chinese text compiling 24 model stories of filial piety, which resonated deeply in Edo-period Japan as a moral guide. The series reflects the cultural exchange between China and Japan, where such tales reinforced Confucian ideals of family loyalty during a time of social change and strict censorship under the shogunate. Kuniyoshi's expressive style shines through in bold lines, vivid colors achieved via intricate woodblock layering, and dramatic compositions that heighten emotional intensity—hallmarks of his innovative approach to traditional subjects. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this accessible chuban print highlights ukiyo-e's role as affordable art for the masses, blending education with entertainment. It invites visitors to ponder the universal pull of familial duty across cultures.

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...