Kiyomori’s Visit to Nunobiki Waterfall: The Ghost of Yoshihira Taking Revenge on Nanba

Utagawa Yoshifusa Japanese

Not on view

This triptych of prints features the ghost of the warrior Akugenta Yoshihira (1141–1160) taking revenge on his murderer Nanba Jirō, a tale based on the Tale of Heiji. The dramatic story is illustrated over three prints. Akugenta causes lightening to strike his murderer Nanba at the center of the composition, and also shoots flames at his enemy Taira no Kiyomori, who confronts Akugenta on the right. The landscape background is treated in ink monochrome, while Nunobiki waterfall is highlighted in blue against the darkness.

Yoshifusa, a pupil of Kuniyoshi and a colleague of Yoshitoshi, continued the Utagawa school's dramatic and bombastic presentations of warrior stories.

Kiyomori’s Visit to Nunobiki Waterfall: The Ghost of Yoshihira Taking Revenge on Nanba, Utagawa Yoshifusa (Japanese, active 1837–1860), Triptych of woodblock-printed books (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan

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