A troupe of frogs takes the kabuki stage, each one posed as a famous actor in a well-known role. This is a colour woodblock by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a master of the Edo print who loved to slip humour into a serious form. The piece crosses two traditions: chōjū-giga, the old Japanese art of animals drawn in human roles, and yakusha-e, the actor portrait. The frogs strike the same dramatic poses that audiences knew from the theatre, and Kuniyoshi's wit is in the match between the grand gesture and the small green performer.
The image is a colour woodblock print. The design is carved into cherry-wood blocks and printed by hand, one colour at a time, onto soft paper. The method gives the clean outlines, the flat areas of colour, and the lively line that lets each frog hold its own exaggerated stance and costume.
On a wall the print is light-hearted without being loud. It brings a quiet smile to a room and reads well where you want character rather than grandeur, such a . . . Read More >>
A troupe of frogs takes the kabuki stage, each one posed as a famous actor in a well-known role. This is a colour woodblock by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a master of the Edo print who loved to slip humour into a serious form. The piece crosses two traditions: chōjū-giga, the old Japanese art of animals drawn in human roles, and yakusha-e, the actor portrait. The frogs strike the same dramatic poses that audiences knew from the theatre, and Kuniyoshi's wit is in the match between the grand gesture and the small green performer.
The image is a colour woodblock print. The design is carved into cherry-wood blocks and printed by hand, one colour at a time, onto soft paper. The method gives the clean outlines, the flat areas of colour, and the lively line that lets each frog hold its own exaggerated stance and costume.
On a wall the print is light-hearted without being loud. It brings a quiet smile to a room and reads well where you want character rather than grandeur, such as a hallway, a study, a child's room, or a kitchen. On paper and framed prints the gallery-style white margin keeps the cast of frogs clear and gives the scene room to play.
This is a gallery-style edition. On fine-art paper and framed prints, a wide printed border surrounds the image in the manner of a museum mat, holding the same proportion whether the sheet is small or large. The canvas edition is stretched over a solid wooden frame instead, and hangs without a border or additional framing. Each version is produced in Europe to order.
Frequently asked questions
What is happening in this print?
Frogs are posed as famous kabuki actors performing their roles, taking the dramatic stances that theatre audiences of the time would have recognised.
What is the joke behind it?
The humour lies in the gap between the grand theatrical pose and the small frog striking it. It is Kuniyoshi's playful caricature of the actor print.
What traditions does it draw on?
It combines chōjū-giga, the Japanese tradition of animal caricature, with yakusha-e, the kabuki actor portrait, both well established by Kuniyoshi's time.
Which room suits it?
Its gentle humour fits a space that wants character over grandeur, such as a hallway, a study, a child's room, or a kitchen.
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Japan historical period: Edo 江戸 (1603-1868)
Check out other artwork of Utagawa Kuniyoshi
#Animal
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#Anthropomorphic
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#Blue
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#Chōjū-Giga (Animal Caricatures)
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#Frog
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#Humorous
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#Japanese Woodblock Print
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#Kabuki
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#Samurai
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#Traditional Japanese Art
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#Ukiyo-E
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#Utagawa Kuniyoshi
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#Warrior
