Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Yes, in today's DailyArt we see some octopuses gleefully mimicking human pursuits. This Japanese design presents a series of comic vignettes in which the creatures take on roles drawn from history, theater, and everyday life.
In the upper left, two octopuses reenact the legendary duel on the Gojo Ōhashi Bridge between the warrior monk Benkei (1155–1189) and the young hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189). Opposite them, a troupe of entertainers performs: an acrobat balances precariously while musicians and singers provide accompaniment. Below, a candy seller attends to two small customers, while to the left a trio stages a kabuki dance, complete with exaggerated poses. At the bottom of the sheet, two stout octopuses grapple in a sumo match under the stern gaze of an imposing referee.
The print’s wit and theatricality are characteristic of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the leading ukiyo-e artists of the late Edo period. Although often remembered as a devoted cat lover—he kept many and frequently sketched them—Kuniyoshi delighted in depicting a wide array of animals. Cats, dogs, foxes, monkeys, frogs, fish, whales, elephants, and even mythical beasts all appear in his work. In some designs, entire triptychs are populated solely by animals dressed and behaving like people.
Kuniyoshi was especially admired for his dynamic warrior prints and for subjects that verge on the bizarre or comic. At the same time, he experimented with Western-style perspective in landscape prints during the 1830s and early 1840s.
This masterpiece is featured in our brand-new Animals in Japanese Art 50 Postcards Set—add it to your collection!
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