Yashima Gakutei

Gakutei was born in Osaka around 1786, though his exact year of birth is somewhat unclear.^[1][2] He was the illegitimate son of the samurai known as Hirata who served under the Tokugawa shogunate. Gakutei's mother later married into the Yashima clan, explaining the artist's name.^[3] For some time, he worked in Osaka, focusing chiefly on privately commissioned woodblock prints called surimono in addition to book illustrations.^[2] Most of what is known about Gakutei has been surmised from the subjects and context of his work.^[4]

Gakutei is noted for the quality in his wood printing works and for his general contributions to the body of ukiyo-e artwork. Specifically, critics have noted his technical prowess and precision,^[3] his skill in embossing,^[2] and that his specialization in surimono exceeded that of his teacher, Hokkei.^[5] Some of his work included a set of five woodblock prints featuring young women performing gagaku, a traditional kind of court music from the Heian period. Each woman plays an instrument: a reed called a shō, a woodwind called a ryūteki, a koto, a stringed instrument called a biwa, and a drum called a tsuri-daiko.^[4] Gakutei also illustrated an entire book called the Kyōka Suikoden (狂歌水滸伝) related to the translated Chinese novel Suikoden. Gakutei also created landscapes and seascapes for books,^[6] which are rare pieces amongst Hokusai's pupils.^[7]

Gakutei is also known for his prolific writing;^[8][9] he wrote many humorous poems called kyōka and used them in his artwork and prints.^[10] Additionally, he was responsible for a Japanese translation of Journey to the West,^[10] for which he also completed illustrations.^[11]

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  Woman Playing a Large Suspended Drum, a surimono woodblock print, circa 1827.
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  Emperor Xuanzong Watches a Woman Emerge from the Ink. Circa 1827.
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  Scene from the Kagerō Nikki. Woodblock print embossed on paper, circa 19th century.
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  Sennin Ōkyō. Woodblock print, 1821-1822.
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  Carp and Pine. Woodblock print produced on commission for a friends club in Kamige.
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  Benkei crab and plum blossom. Woodblock print, c. 1823
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  The shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo. Circa 1825.
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  The Tenmangū Festival at Osaka. 1834.
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  Crescent Moon and New Years Decorations. 1826.
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  Honma Suketada from the Taiheiki. 1821-1825.
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  Painted scroll of a courtesan. 1818-1830.
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  Daoist Immortal and Crane.
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  Murasaki Shikibu composing The Tale of Genji.