Karukaya Dōshin Refusing to Recognize Ishidōmaru
1881
In this heartbreaking scene from a Noh play, a towering monk in dark robes turns his face away in stoic anguish while a young child in a bright orange kimono clings desperately to his sleeve. Falling red maple leaves swirl around them against a deep blue sky, emphasizing the sorrow of the moment. This depicts Karukaya Dōshin refusing to acknowledge his own son, Ishidōmaru, to maintain his religious vows—a harsh duty captured by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. As the last great master of ukiyo-e, Yoshitoshi used this print from his '24 Paragons of Imperial Loyalty' series to showcase intense human emotion just as photography was beginning to replace traditional art in Japan.
- Technique
- Woodblock print
- Material
- Paper
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