Torii kiyonaga biography of abraham

Although not biologically related to the Torii family, he became head of the group after the death of his adoptive father and teacher Torii Kiyomitsu. The master Kiyomitsu died in ; since his son died young, and Kiyotsune , Kiyonaga's senior, was a less promising artist, Kiyonaga was the obvious choice to succeed Kiyomitsu to leadership of the Torii school.

However, he delayed this for two years, likely devoting time to his bijin-ga and realizing the immense responsibility that would fall on his shoulders once he took over the school. Thus, in , he began organizing the production of kabuki signboards and the like, which the school held a near monopoly on. He also began to train Kiyomitsu's grandson, Torii Kiyomine , who was to succeed him.

Torii Kiyonaga began his training under Torii Kiyomitsu in at the age of 14 years old. Many of his early works were billboards and depictions of actors based on his visits to nearby kabuki theatres. The highlight of his career is when he began to produce pieces of beautiful women. In addition Torii Kiyonaga created illustrations for books and picture programs called banzuke.

Torii Kiyonaga was a Japanese printmaker and painter of the Torii school who lived from to , during the Edo period.

Kiyonaga is considered one of the great masters of the full-color nishiki-e print and of bijin-ga , images of courtesans and other beautiful women. Like most ukiyo-e artists, however, he also produced a number of prints and paintings depicting Kabuki actors and related subjects, many of them promotional materials for the theaters. He also produced a number of shunga , or erotic images, including two adaptations of Harunobo's Zashiki Hakkei.

In the field of bijin-ga , only the works of Harunobu and a handful of others are generally regarded comparable with those of Kiyonaga. Kiyonaga produced a great many bijin-ga prints in the s, and this is generally regarded as his high point; this is particularly true because he nearly stopped doing art entirely in the early s.

Some scholars point out the beauty of his paintings as being particularly exceptional given his commoner heritage and upbringing.