Abstract

UTAGAWA Yoshitaki was an Ukiyoe artist who worked mainly around Osaka from the late Edo to early Meiji period. The previous studies of Yoshitaki have been mainly about his print works. This paper, however, also looks into some of his rare paintings. Chapter 1 overviews changes observed in Yoshitaki's actor prints in more than 30 years of his career. Chapter 2 examines three paintings of beauties by Yoshitaki from 1880 to 1885, in which many similarities can be pointed out with his prints that were produced immediately before he shifted to paintings. Chapter 3 looks at two very important paintings of beauties painted in the late Edo era, one belonging to MFA Boston and the other to The British Museum respectively. Similarities with Yoshitaki's print style are also found in these works. Chapter 4, based on Chapter 2 and 3, discusses how, while using some print work elements, Yoshitaki's paintings style became sophisticated over time in comparison with his earlier paintings in which influences of his print works had been much more obvious