Kuniyoshi: Original Preparatory Drawing of a Cat and Dragonfly

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)
Title: Original drawing of a Seated Couple and a Cat Looking at a Dragonfly for an Illustrated Novel (Gôkan)  Date: ca 1830s-1840s

Original preparatory drawing for an illustrated novel (gokan). We see a couple having a difficult conversation; the man is clearly uncomfortable by his posture, and the woman is shielding her face with her sleeve, indicating that she is probably in tears. In a bit of subtle Kuniyoshi humor, the artist has drawn a cat looking up at a dragonfly that flies in front of a standing lamp (andon), oblivious to the intense drama of the humans. Kuniyoshi is known for the finest cat designs in all of ukiyo-e, and he surrounded himself with them in his own studio. He would study their forms and movements and sketch from life. 

Gokan (illustrated novels) were the main vehicle of Japanese fiction in terms of quantity throughout the 19th century, and due to their popularity about 40 or 50 new titles a year were produced from about 1807 to 1867. Gokan were the most elaborate of the kusazoshi, “grass books”, which included serial productions for works that included the blockbuster Inaka Genji. All kusazoshi used smaller sizes of paper, and the illustrations were a critical part of their composition and appeal. As almost all kusazoshi were produced in Edo, we could see why Kuniyoshi would be a favorite of publishers and authors, as his imagination was without limit and he could produce lively narrative illustrations in a way that knew no equal. We can appreciate the mastery of his brush even in this small format, with almost every aspect of each figure coming out fully formed and posed perfectly, with no corrections. Interestingly, text and illustrations shared each page, with the illustration drawn first and then the dialogue/narration was added to fill up the blank space. We can see here how there is quite a bit of blank space around the figures. Provenance: Samuel Tuke

Condition: Very good condition overall. With binding holes at left and two areas where the artist tested his brush in the right margin. We see a tiny scribbled foot that might be considered a doodle for a different design.

Dimensions: 16.8 x 20.4 cm

SKU: DRW507