Yoshitoshi - New Forms of Thirty-six Ghosts
Yoshitoshi - New Forms of Thirty-six Ghosts
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892)
Date: 1890
Publisher: Sasaki Toyokichi
Genre: Ukiyo-e
Medium: Woodblock Print. Oban-size
Shoki Capturing a Demon in a Dream, No. 13. Shoki, the famous demon queller, based on the Chinese legend of Chung Kuei, who appeared to the Emperor in a dream and chased away the fever demons plaguing him. Shoki stands next to a green oni, or demon, cowering in fear at lower left.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s Thirty-Six Ghosts (also known as New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts) represents the culmination of his artistic career and stands among the most sophisticated explorations of the supernatural in Japanese printmaking. Drawing on folklore, history, and literary sources, Yoshitoshi selected thirty-six ghostly tales ranging from eerie and violent to poetic and introspective. While the apparitions themselves are compelling, Yoshitoshi’s deeper focus lies in the psychological tension between the spirit world and the human figures who encounter it. Created at the height of his popularity, the series was met with immediate enthusiasm and remains highly sought after today.
This late masterwork also reflects Yoshitoshi’s long artistic evolution. Earlier in his career, he attempted a far more ambitious ghost series, but it remained incomplete. By contrast, Thirty-Six Ghosts is deliberate and refined, produced after decades of struggle and eventual success. Technically, the series pushed the limits of woodblock printing, incorporating complex effects such as embossing, burnishing, and subtle color gradation (bokashi), often requiring a dozen carved blocks per design.
Condition: Good impression and color. Backed on Meiji-era paper. Minor dirt.
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Who Was Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892) was one of the most influential figures of late ukiyo-e and is widely regarded as the last great master of the tradition. Born in Edo to a prosperous merchant family, he showed artistic talent at an early age and became a student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi at just eleven years old. Under Kuniyoshi’s guidance, Yoshitoshi absorbed both classical woodblock techniques and Western approaches to shading, realism, and perspective, which helped shape the distinctive, dramatic style that defined his career.
Yoshitoshi first gained attention for powerful warrior prints and intense historical scenes, but he became especially known for his graphic muzan-e (“cruel pictures”) depicting violence, murder, and warfare. These works reflected both the turbulent social climate of the late Edo and early Meiji periods and his own personal struggles with mental health and financial hardship. His figures were more naturalistic and psychologically expressive than those of many contemporaries, combining traditional ukiyo-e design with a heightened sense of realism and emotion.
Later in life, Yoshitoshi turned increasingly toward poetic, imaginative, and elegant subjects. Masterpieces such as One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, Thirty-two Aspects of Women’s Customs and Manners, A Collection of Desires, and New Forms of Thirty-six Ghosts reveal a quieter lyricism and technical refinement that contrast with his earlier brutality. Through these diverse bodies of work, Yoshitoshi preserved and revitalized ukiyo-e at a time when the medium was in decline, securing his legacy as its final great innovator.
Yoshitoshi Videos
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Yoshitoshi's Women - Woodblock Prints
View on YouTubeAmong the many woodblock print masters who depicted women in their work, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi stands out. Learn about his most celebrated series.
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Fujiwara no Yasumasa
View on YouTubeExplore Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s legendary 1882 triptych Fujiwara no Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight. Learn the history behind the print.
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Unboxing Yoshitoshi woodblock prints
View on YouTubeJoin me as we unbox 4 Yoshitoshi prints that we won at auction, for the first time. We'll examine the prints and discuss the stories and history behind them.
Collector Reviews
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It's a great looking piece which I am very happy and excited to add to my small collection! I really appreciate it.
I enjoy your YouTube videos and I look forward to picking up more prints from you in the future.
Rick
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Dear Mr. Richard, opening the package and seeing the incredible bright colours and ornamental abundance of Yoshitoshi's diptych, it was just as printed today! It will be a pleasure to get more of your fine selected prints.
L. F.
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Josh and I just opened the package and want to thank you for this amazing Hiroshige print. The condition is better than we expected. Lovely to look at, will bring the family great joy. Happy New Year and thank you again.
J.
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