Trekken van een juiste lot - Utagawa Kuniyoshi
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Description
A whimsical 1861 woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi featuring a central deity pulling ropes connected to a variety of surreal and human figures.
This woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, titled Trekken van een juiste lot, dates to 1861. It presents a whimsical and satirical scene typical of the artist's late career. The composition centres on a large, bearded figure, likely a personification of Fukurokuju, the deity of longevity, who holds the ends of numerous ropes. These ropes extend outward to connect with a diverse array of figures, including anthropomorphised objects, mythical creatures, and various individuals. The scene is set against a backdrop featuring Mount Fuji, providing a recognisable Japanese icon that anchors the surreal gathering.
Kuniyoshi employs a playful approach to his subject matter, blending folklore with social commentary. The figures pulling the ropes represent a wide cross-section of Edo-period society and imagination. Some characters are depicted with exaggerated features, while others are inanimate objects brought to life, such as a radish with a face or a tea bowl. The use of colour is balanced, with soft blues and greens providing a calm field for the busy, chaotic arrangement of the participants. The lines are precise, characteristic of the high technical standards of the Ukiyo-e school during the mid-nineteenth century.
This work demonstrates the artist's ability to manage complex, multi-figure compositions without losing clarity. The radial arrangement of the ropes draws the eye toward the central figure, creating a sense of order amidst the apparent absurdity. As a late work, it reflects the creative freedom Kuniyoshi exercised when moving away from traditional heroic subjects toward more inventive, humorous narratives. The print serves as a window into the imaginative world of the artist, where the boundaries between the mundane and the supernatural are porous. It remains a fine example of the narrative depth found in Japanese woodblock printing.
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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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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
Trekken van een juiste lot - 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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