The Ide Jewel River in Yamashiro Province - Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the 'Heroes of the Great Peace' series, featuring a warrior in a patterned kimono.
This woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicts a figure from the series 'Taiheiki Eiyuden' (Heroes of the Great Peace). Kuniyoshi, a master of the Utagawa school, produced this work during the mid-nineteenth century. The composition focuses on a single warrior figure, rendered with the dynamic line quality characteristic of the artist. The subject is shown in a moment of movement, holding a large straw hat above his head. His attire features a patterned kimono with a hexagonal motif, layered over blue undergarments. The background incorporates calligraphic text, a common feature in Japanese prints of this period, which provides historical context for the figure depicted.
Kuniyoshi is recognised for his ability to combine traditional subject matter with a sense of drama. The print demonstrates his skill in balancing the figure against the surrounding text and the subtle, swirling patterns in the background. The colour palette is restrained, relying on earthy tones, deep blues, and muted reds to define the forms. The print reflects the aesthetic conventions of the Edo period, where the fusion of literature and visual art was a standard practice. The figure's posture and the arrangement of his clothing suggest a narrative quality, typical of the 'musha-e' (warrior print) genre that Kuniyoshi helped to popularise. This piece offers a clear example of the technical precision involved in woodblock printing, from the carving of the blocks to the application of ink on paper. It remains a representative example of the artist's output during his mature period, showing his command of composition and his attention to the details of historical costume and characterisation.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
The Ide Jewel River in Yamashiro Province - Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Artist Biography
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
For the first thirteen years he struggled. The breakthrough came in 1827 with a commission to illustrate the 108 Heroes of the Suikoden, a Chinese adventure novel. He drew tattooed warriors in dynamic poses that broke out of the frame, the tattoos rendered with a detail that started a fashion in Edo. The series was enormously popular and established him as the leading designer of warrior prints.
He loved cats. His studio was always full of them, and he often worked with a kitten tucked inside his kimono. When a cat died, he sent it to a nearby temple, and he kept a Buddhist altar for his deceased cats at home. Cats appear constantly in his prints: as substitute actors in kabuki scenes, as letter-forms in playful alphabets, as parodies of famous paintings. Government censorship in the 1840s prohibited the depiction of actors and courtesans by name, so Kuniyoshi gave them cat faces, which was technically legal and funnier.
His range was unusual for an ukiyo-e artist. Warriors, landscapes, beautiful women, ghosts, satirical cartoons, cats. He was equally comfortable with the heroic and the absurd, sometimes on the same sheet. His triptych of the giant skeleton spectre, from the tale of Takiyasha the Witch, is one of the most reproduced images in Japanese art.
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