John & Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art
Reno, Nevada
The Lilley Museum of Art is located on the main campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.
Message-
Artist: Konishi Hirosada
Little about Hirosada's personal biography is known, such as the exact date of his birth and death. Also, his original name was Sadahiro, but in 1847, he switched the first and last four letters to Hirosada. The reason for the name change was to avoid censorship. It was also considered normal for Japanese artists to change their artist name every now and then. Hirosada was an Osaka-based designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints during the late Edo period. He possessed an unusually expressive and dynamic style, and was particularly known for his diptychs and triptychs, and for his okubi-e portraits of the leading actors of the Osaka school Kabuki theater during his day. In the mid-nineteenth century, the Japanese Kabuki theater was extremely popular and provided printmakers, such as Hirosada, with an abundance of commissions for actor prints. Kabuki prints had the main goal of advertising for new performances, theater programs, and fan posters.
Images displayed via this interface may not be reproduced without the express permission of the artist or the artist's representative. Please contact The Lilley Museum of Art with any questions regarding image rights and reproduction.