A young proprietor accompagined by women is enjoying the monkey show. The guy in expensive costume recalls Hikaru, character of Tale of Genji. Kuniyoshi was a ukiyoe painter also being good at caricature, so his keen observation is effectively used in the expression of the performer and the women watching the show. From the seal, this is a creation of between 1847 and 1852.
Triptych connected Holes, wrinkles, wears in the coeners and edges, slightly stained and soiled
Although Utagawa Kuniyoshi created all genre of ukiyoe, many of his impressive works are not portraits of beauties or actors. He is called an “artist of unique imagination” since he introduced new ideas one after another out of his abundant imagination into wide ranged field of his artworks.
Among of all Kuniyoshi’s artworks, giga pieces (humorous or satiric paintings, or sketches or drawings done in fun) are most popular. Especially his giga pieces which depict anthropomorphic images of animals have been very popular throughout the ages. Kuniyoshi was known as very enthusiastic ailurophile (cat lover) and depicted many cats in his artworks. He also anthropomorphized gold fish, carp and turtles.
He also created unique pieces playing with objects’shapes such as creating a human face with different shapes of human bodies. His unique artworks show his incomparably abundant artistic imagination.
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