Minakuchi: the Story of Ôiko, from the series Fifty-three Pairings for the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô gojûsan tsui). Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburô (Dansendô) (Japanese). Japanese, Edo period, about 1845-1846 (Kôka 2-3). Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

BOSTON, MA.- The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston presents Women of Renown: Female Heroes and Villains in the Prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), on view through Monday, October 8, 2007. Artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi uniquely combined the popular theme of beautiful women with his personal specialty, warrior prints showing legendary heroic figures from Japanese and Chinese history. From the historical woman warrior Tomoe to the fictional sorceress Takiyasha, from ancient empresses to present-day criminals, Kuniyoshi’s dynamic portrayals show women who were not just passive beauties but strong, courageous, talented, and sometimes even wicked. (courtesy www.Artdaily.org)