Kikuchi Yōsai

Japanese, 1788 - 1878

BiographyKikuchi Yōsai (菊池容斎, 1788–1878) also known as Kikuchi Takeyasu 武保and Kawahara Ryōhei 量平, was a Japanese painter most famous for his monochrome portraits of historical figures. The son of the samurai Kawahara Senzō Takeyoshi 河原専蔵武吉of Edo, he was adopted by a family named Kikuchi 菊池. When eighteen, he became a pupil of Takata Enjō 高田円乗; but, after studying the principles of the Kanō, Shijō, and Maruyama schools, he developed an independent style, having some affinities with that of Tani Bunchō.
His illustrated history of Japanese heroes, the Zenken Kojitsu『前賢故実』, is a remarkable specimen of his power as a draughtsman in monochrome ink. In order to produce this work, and his many other portraits of historical figures, he performed extensive historical, and even archaeological, research. Zenken Kojitsu features over 500 major figures in Japanese history, and was originally printed as a series of ten woodblock printed books, in 1878. Nakane Kōtei 中根香亭pointed out that Yōsai modelled the form of "Zenken Kojitsu" on "Banshōdō Chikusō Gaden (晩笑堂竹荘画伝)" which was drawn by Jō Kan Syū (上官周). Kōtei also said that Yōsai was influenced by Hokusai when young. He thought of the calligraphy as much as the picture when he guided a pupil.

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