Urakusai Nagahide (Japanese: 有楽斎 長秀), was a designer of
ukiyo-e style
Japanese woodblock prints who was active from about 1804 to about 1848. He is also known as Yūrakusai Nagahide (有楽斎 長秀), Nakamura Nagahide (中邑 長秀 or 中村 長秀), Chōshū (長秀), and as Chōshūsai (長秀斎). “Nagahide” and “Chōshū” are written with the same
kanji. The ending “sai” means studio or hall, and is added or omitted at will by many Japanese artists.[1]
Nagahide worked in both
Kyoto and
Osaka. His early prints resemble those of his teacher
Ryūkōsai Jokei, but were also influenced by
Shōkōsai Hanbei.[2] Such a radical change occurred in Nagahide’s style that some scholars believe that the body of works signed “Nagahide” may actually have been created by two different artists.[3] From the 1810s to the 1830s, Nagahide was the most prolific designer of
stencil prints (
kappazuri) depicting the annual costume parade in the
Gion district of
Kyoto,[2] and he continued producing
kappazuri long after full-color woodblock prints (
nishiki-e) had become the standard for
Japanese woodblock prints. His students include
Nagashige,
Hidekatsu,
Hidekuni,
Hidemari, and
Naniwa Nagakuni.
Gallery
Stencil prints (
kappazuri) titled Sakie of the Hanabishiya
Courtisane Makino
Print from the picture album "Sugoroku"
Notes
^Roberts, Laurance P. (1976). A Dictionary of Japanese Artists, p. ix.
^
abNewland, Amy Reigle. (2005). Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints, p. 482.