Amusements of the First Snowfall

Well, today is my birthday!  : )  On this occasion I have for you a GIANT SNOW CAT (he looks a bit like my cat, Pimpek) and some special offers—DailyArt PRO will cost only $1.99 today instead of $5.99. Also, our DailyArt paper calendars will go on a flash, 24-hour sale—they will cost 40% less. Enjoy!  : ) 

- Zuzanna, DailyArt's Founder and CEO : ) 

Utagawa Kuniyoshi was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. He was a member of the Utagawa school. The range of Kuniyoshi's subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of legendary samurai heroes. His artwork incorporated aspects of Western representation in landscape painting and caricature. 

Despite his promising debut, the young Kuniyoshi failed to produce many works between 1818 and 1827, probably due to a lack of commissions from publishers, and the competition of other artists within the Utagawa school (Utagawa-ryū). His economic situation turned desperate at one point when he was forced to sell used tatami mats.

During the 1820s, Kuniyoshi produced a number of heroic triptychs that show the first signs of an individual style. In 1827 he received his first major commission for the series, The Hundred and Eight Heroes of The Popular Suikoden (Tūszoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori), based on the incredibly popular Chinese tale, the Shuihu Zhuan. In this series Kuniyoshi illustrated individual heroes on single sheets, drawing tattoos on his heroes, a novelty which soon influenced Edo fashion. The Suikoden series became extremely popular in Edo, and the demand for Kuniyoshi’s warrior prints increased, gaining him entrance into the major ukiyo-e and literary circles.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi was a huge cat lover. It was said that his studio was full of them. That love spilled into his art. On this woodcut we see court ladies showing a giant snow cat to a young prince Genji after the first snow. If there would be enough snow in Warsaw now, I would make such a GIANT SNOW CAT!  : ]

 P.S. Let's celebrate with more cats in art here! <3