Development of Style in the Book Illustrations of Nichosai

Nichosai was a painter of giga (humorous pictures) probably born before 1751 (Horeki 1), active during the Annei (1772–81) and the Kyowa (1801–04)periods, and thought to have died in either 1802 (Kyowa 2) or 1803 (Kyowa 3). His artistry had matured by the Kansei period (1789–1801). The hanpon (woodblock-printed illustrated books) Nichosai was involved with have been the subject of previous research by Hida Kozo, yet his research was comparatively brief. In this paper, the author discusses the illustrations Nichosai made for these books, a topic that has as yet received little attention from scholars, focusing on the unique characteristics of his style. Nichosai published four works of hanpon while he was alive, and two more were published immediately after his death. In addition, he drew occasional illustrations for various other books, and with Hida\u27s introduction to work as a guide, this paper will touch briefly on the development of Nichosai\u27s book illustrations. This will help elucidate the development of Nichosai\u27s style as a book illustrator, and deepen our understanding of its relationship to his giga