Japanese Print "Naosuke Gombei" by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Artist:Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Title:Naosuke Gombei
Date:5th month 1867
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Source:Worcester Art Museum
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Description:
This series is particularly graphic––here, the cruelty with which Gombei murders his master is enhanced by the bright aniline reds and the use of deer glue to imitate congealed blood. Many have associated this brutality with Yoshitoshi’s mental instability, but, while undoubtedly grisly, they reflect a general preference for the gruesome in the Bakumatsu era (1853–67), a trend that has roots as early as the 1820s. This series was actually produced in collaboration with fellow Kuniyoshi student Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833–1904), with each artist contributing fourteen designs, though it continues to be associated primarily with Yoshitoshi’s name.