Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Cats suggested by the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō”, 1847, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Cats suggested by the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō”, 1847, color woodblock print

Amavo i gatti e loro amavano me, Ethel e Simone ne sono testimoni, ho scritto amavo e non amo perché devo ammettere che da qualche tempo voi giovani ( e meno giovani) instagramers, youtubers, gattari virtuali che vi sfogate sui social media di ogni genere, specie e latitudine, mi avete un bel po’ ammorbato!
Da che deriva questa fissazione mi chiedo? Non può semplicemente essere liquidata con la facilità di ottenere plauso e like…

I gatti arrivarono in Giappone, verso la metà del VI secolo, a bordo di navi che trasportavano sacre scritture buddiste provenienti dalla Cina e ben presto i pelosi quadrupedi facendo le fusa o talvolta graffiando si sono insinuati nel cuore della vita giapponese, del folklore e dell’arte. Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection, una mostra che aprirà i battenti il prossimo 13 marzo (fino al 26 aprile) a New York, presso la Japan Society Gallery, mostrerà l’amore dei giapponesi per i gatti attraverso un excursus artistico che parte da xilografie del periodo Edo (1615-1867).

Novanta stampe ukiyo-e saranno in mostra. E poi dipinti e sculture e altre opere prese in prestito da collezioni americane completeranno la rassegna, che conterà oltre 120 opere d’arte. In un percorso cross-culturale e trans-generazionale.

La mostra conta cinque sezioni: Cats and People, Cats as People, Cats versus People, Cats Transformed and Cats and Play.
Dunque riflettiamo: e se l’amore per i gatti non fosse nato su Instagram?

Utagawa Kunitoshi (1847-1899), “Newly published cat's games”, 1844, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunitoshi (1847-1899), “Newly published cat’s games”, 1844, color woodblock print
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), “The enlightenment of Darum”, 1882, color woodblock print
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), “The enlightenment of Darum”, 1882, color woodblock print
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), “Empress Jingū fishing for a cat”, 1882, color woodblock print
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), “Empress Jingū fishing for a cat”, 1882, color woodblock print
Utagawa Yoshifuji (1828-1887), “Popular hotspring spa (of cats)”, 1880, color woodblock print
Utagawa Yoshifuji (1828-1887), “Popular hotspring spa (of cats)”, 1880, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “Under the eaves of Tamamizu: spring rain”, 1818-30, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “Under the eaves of Tamamizu: spring rain”, 1818-30, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “The actor Onoe Kikugorō III as Kayanoya Kanpei”, 1883, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “The actor Onoe Kikugorō III as Kayanoya Kanpei”, 1883, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), “Beloved concubine Kochō, her maid Okoma, and Narushima Tiryō”, 1853, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), “Beloved concubine Kochō, her maid Okoma, and Narushima Tiryō”, 1853, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “From the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō Road: scene at Okazaki: Onoe Kikugorō III as the Neko-ishi no Kai, the spirit of the cat stone, Mimasu Gennosuke I as Shirasuga Jūemon, and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Inabanosuke”, 1835, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “From the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō Road: scene at Okazaki: Onoe Kikugorō III as the Neko-ishi no Kai, the spirit of the cat stone, Mimasu Gennosuke I as Shirasuga Jūemon, and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Inabanosuke”, 1835, color woodblock print
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), “Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival”, 1857, color woodblock print
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), “Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival”, 1857, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880), “Kashiwagi”, 1848-54, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880), “Kashiwagi”, 1848-54, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Wanting to tweeze the nape of the neck / Air bladders of fish from the Sunomata River in Tōtōmi province”, 1852, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Wanting to tweeze the nape of the neck / Air bladders of fish from the Sunomata River in Tōtōmi province”, 1852, color woodblock print
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), “Looking tiresome: the appearance of a virgin of the Kansei Era”, 1888, color woodblock print
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), “Looking tiresome: the appearance of a virgin of the Kansei Era”, 1888, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “Bun'ya no Yasuhide”, 1848-54, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “Bun’ya no Yasuhide”, 1848-54, color woodblock print
Utakawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “Cat and beauty”, 1818-30, color woodblock print
Utakawa Kunisada (1786-1864), “Cat and beauty”, 1818-30, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Parody of Umegae striking the bell of limitless (hell)”, 1848-54, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Parody of Umegae striking the bell of limitless (hell)”, 1848-54, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Oshun Denbei mi no kusasa sakari no irodoki”, 1847, color woodblock print
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), “Oshun Denbei mi no kusasa sakari no irodoki”, 1847, color woodblock print
Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904), “The story of Otomi and Yosaburō”, 1860, color woodblock print
Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904), “The story of Otomi and Yosaburō”, 1860, color woodblock print
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), “Cat crossing to eat”, 1830-44, color woodblock print
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), “Cat crossing to eat”, 1830-44, color woodblock print
Yoshimura Kōkei (1770-1836), “Dragon and tiger”, 1865, ink, color and gold on silk
Yoshimura Kōkei (1770-1836), “Dragon and tiger”, 1865, ink, color and gold on silk
Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831-1889), “A true picture of the fierce live niger never seen from the past to the present”, 1860, color woodblock print
Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831-1889), “A true picture of the fierce live niger never seen from the past to the present”, 1860, color woodblock print
Ohara Koson (1877-1945), “Tiger”, 1910 ca., color woodblock print
Ohara Koson (1877-1945), “Tiger”, 1910 ca., color woodblock print
Kishi Chikudō (1826-1897), “Majestic seated tiger”, 1865, ink and color on silk
Kishi Chikudō (1826-1897), “Majestic seated tiger”, 1865, ink and color on silk
Un messaggio

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