Madame Tang (To Fujin), from the series "Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko)"

Art Historical Context

**Madame Tang (To Fujin)**, from Utagawa Kuniyoshi series *Twenty-four Par of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko)*, c. 1848/50, a poignant moment of devotion in this color woodblock print (chuban format, 25.1 × 18.1 cm). Kuniyoshi, a master the ukiyo-e from the Utagawa school was renowned for his dynamic warrior prints and historical scenes, but here he turns to moral tales. The image depicts Madame Tang, a legendary figure from Chinese lore, embodying extreme filial piety by caring for her ailing mother-in-law in a humble domestic setting. This series draws from a classic Chinese text compiling 24 stories of exemplary filial behavior, a cornerstone of Confucian ethics emphasizing respect for elders. In mid-19th-century Japan, during the final decades of the Edo period, such prints popularized these imported virtues amid a culture valuing harmony and duty. Kuniyoshi's vibrant colors—achieved through precise woodblock layering—and expressive figures infuse the scene with emotional intensity, making abstract ideals vivid and relatable. As a chuban print, smaller and more affordable than larger formats, it was ideal for urban audiences, reflecting ukiyo-e's role in disseminating culture. Today, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, it reminds us how art bridged East Asian traditions, celebrating selflessness in everyday heroism.

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...