Ruan Xiaowu, the Short-lived Second Son (Tanmeijirō Genshōgo), from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori) 「短冥次郎阮小吾」 『通俗水滸伝豪傑百八人之一個』

Object Details

• Artist

  Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1798-1861)

• Publisher

  Kagaya Kichiemon (Seiseido) 加賀屋吉右衛門 (active ca. 1815-1850)

• Label

  The appearance of Kuniyoshi's series based on the Chinese adventure novel The Water Margin marked a turning point in the artist's career. The first prints published in this series were so popular that he continued to design additional prints for a total of seventy designs. He became one of the most imaginative and innovative of all the print artists of his era. Here he portrays the Chinese hero Ruan Xiaowu (Japanese, Gen Shogo) grappling underwater with the commander of enemy forces. The text reads, "He was a native of Shijie village in Weizhou. He had a leopard tattoo on his breast. . . . He had the ability to conceal his body underwater for long periods. At the encampment of forces at Liangshan anchorage on Jinsha lake, he captured the commander from off the deck of one of the enemy vessels." In this struggle, with its underwater setting indicated by sweeps of translucent blue and fleeing fish, the hero presses his enemy downward.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection (September 15, 2002 to January 9, 2003)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  The Anne van Biema Collection

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Kagaya, Kichiemon, Utagawa, Kuniyoshi

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Water, Wars, Warrior, Art, Carp, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Anne van Biema collection, Heroes, Ukiyo-e, Tattoo

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints