Kanyosai

Kanyosai
Kenshi Gaen, 1771
2285

Three Volumes. Tatebe was one of Kanyosai's names. There was an early issue of 1771 probably , in two volumes, then comes 1775 in three volumes, and possibly later still in four volumes. The example here is Mitchell's B, the 1775 issue in three volumes, all described on pages 358-9 of his book. Kanyosai and several other artists were responsible for this. One volume has very varied and powerful compositions of fish; the next has perhaps a more delicate collection of much technical interest also in that he is surely experimenting with the textured woodcut as explained to me by Jack Hillier. Several of these woodcuts have something like aquatint texture to give a kind of grain to the leaf branch. There are fine plant, bird and animal forms in this volume with mountain landscapes and a most sensitive scene of spring trees and a couple of horses beautifully drawn, one of them rolling in the field. The third volume is the most decorative, beginning with a color print of rock and sea and shore, continuing with many and varied landscape prints, most of them having pale grey sumi second color. In scenes of rock and waterfall this seems particularly apt. For its date or for anytime this must be reckoned a memorably successful work of art. Original embossed pale blue paper covers, title labels.

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