Kitao Masanobu

Why this artist matters now

Santō Kyōden was a Japanese artist, writer, and the owner of a tobacco shop during the Edo period. His real name was Iwase Samuru , and he was also known popularly as Kyōya Denzō . He began his professional career illustrating the works of others before writing his own Kibyōshi and Sharebon, which marked his importance in the history of manga. Within his works, Kyōden often included references to his shop to increase sales. Kyōden's works were affected by the shifting publication laws of the Kansei Reforms, which aimed to punish writers and their publishers for writings related to the Yoshiwara and other things that were deemed to be "harmful to society" at the time by the Tokugawa Bakufu. As a result of his punishment in 1791, Kyōden shifted his writings to the more didactic Yomihon. During the 1790s, Santō Kyōden became a household name, and one of his works could sell as many as 10,000 copies, numbers that were previously unheard of for the time.

Source: Artsy · Trust score: 85% · Updated 1mo ago