Kuniyoshi's Warrior Prints and Story Illustrations

When the novel "Water Margin" was introduced from China and became widely popular in Japan, Kuniyoshi was the first to powerfully depict its characters in colorful ukiyo-e prints. Kuniyoshi's breakthrough work was the series One of the 108 Heroes of the Popular Water Margin, in which he vividly portrayed outlaws such as Zhang Shun (White Jumping in the Waves) and Ruan Xiaowu (Lives-Shortening Second Brother). Kuniyoshi, the master of warrior prints, continued to depict heroes and warriors from various stories.

It was also Kuniyoshi's lively imagination that gave rise to the impressive triptych composition in ukiyo-e. This technique overcame the constraints of traditional Japanese paper size by arranging three Oban-sized ukiyo-e prints to create one large, dynamic screen. By filling these large screens with colossal skeletons and whales, Kuniyoshi successfully crafted breathtaking images that continue to captivate viewers.