Utagawa Masanobu

Utagawa Masanobu 歌川政信 (正信)  (active 1882-1887)    

BIOGRAPHY

A fifth generation Utagawa school artist1 about whom little is known other than he studied under Utagawa Kunisada III (a.k.a. Kunimasa IV).2 He did create several prints of the circus, as pictured below, and at least one series of prints depicting Tokyo meisho (famous places.) He used the Baidō 梅童 (梅堂) in his signature for many of his works.

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Utagawa_school_members [accessed 12-28-23]

2 https://www.ne.jp/asahi/kato/yoshio/aiueo-zenesi/ma-zenesi/masanobu-baidou.html [accessed 12-28-23]

A Few of the Artist's Works - reference only, prints not part of this collection

Chiarini's Great Circus, 1886

Baido Masanobu

西洋チヤリ子大曲馬ノ図

梅童政信

Waseda University Library 10 08021 0009

Chiarini's World's Best Circus, 1886 Utagawa Masanobu

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chirani's Circus, 1886

Baido Masanobu

Edo-Tokyo Museum

A Great Whale Catch, 1884

Baido Masanobu

New Bedford Whaling Museum 2001.100.6680

Rise and Decline of Various Things of Present Time, 1886

Utagawa Masanobu

UCSF Japanese Woodblock Print Collection ucsf_p004

Signatures and Seals of the Artist (a sampling)

[1] 梅童政信Baidō Masanobu ga; [2] 梅童政信 Baidō Masanobu hitsu; [3]  梅童政信Baidō Masanobu hitsu with Toshidama seal; [4] 梅童政信Baidō Masanobu ga with unread seal [5] 梅童政信Baidō Masanobu ga

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Prints in Collection

[BELOW PRINTS GIFTED TO THE JORDAN SCHNITZER MUSEUM OF ART, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON]

click on thumbnail for print details

Ueno Park Horse Racing Stands from the series Great Scenic Places in Tokyo, c. 1885

IHL Cat. #579