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The Strange Occurrence of Ukiyo Matahei and his Famous Paintings
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
In this image, otsu-e folk heroes have seemingly come to life, leaving their shadowy figures in the paintings in front of the artist. Included among them are a demon ( oni ), a monkey, the wisteria maiden, and the bald, tall-headed God of Longevity, Fukurokuju. Ukiyo Matahei, also known as Iwasa Matabei, was a famous printmaker who is also thought to have been a painter of otsu-e.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Strange Occurrence of Ukiyo Matahei and his Famous Paintings, 1853. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861). Diptych, color woodblock prints; overall: 37.8 x 26.4 cm (14 7/8 x 10 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade, 1916.1160.b
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