The artwork titled “Uramatsu Kihei Hidenao Nyûdô Ryûen,” created by Utagawa Kuniyoshi around 1847 to 1848, is a woodblock print within the Ukiyo-e movement. This illustration belongs to the series “Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai” and is held in the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The dimensions of the artwork are 37 by 25.8 centimeters.
The artwork depicts a samurai, Uramatsu Kihei Hidenao Nyûdô Ryûen, in a dramatic pose beneath a richly adorned garment. The colorful and intricate patterns on the garments, as well as the detailed background, highlight Kuniyoshi’s mastery in woodblock printing. The samurai’s intense expression and readiness for action convey a powerful sense of loyalty and duty, central themes in the series to which this piece belongs. The presence of text above the image provides additional context or narration, typical of the illustrative storytelling style of Ukiyo-e prints. The detailed and expressive nature of this artwork exemplifies the artistic and cultural significance of 19th-century Japanese woodblock prints.
