The artwork, titled “Oniwakamaru and the Giant Carp Fighting Underwater,” was created by Utagawa Kuniyoshi around 1835. It belongs to the Ukiyo-e art movement and is classified as a mythological painting. The artwork measures 38.1 by 26.2 centimeters and is currently housed at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, NY, US.
This striking piece depicts the legendary figure Oniwakamaru engaged in a dramatic underwater battle with a giant carp. The composition is rendered with great dynamism, capturing the intense struggle between the human and the fish. Rich, vivid colors dominate the artwork, with bold blues representing the water and contrasting sharply with the reds and chaotic motion surrounding Oniwakamaru. The carp, delineated with fine details in its scales and form, adds to the sense of otherworldliness. Snow-like elements dot the scene, enhancing the dramatic tension of this mythological encounter.
