A Modern Tale of the Water Margin
While demand for actor prints began to wane during the late nineteenth century, it remained vibrant enough for a handful of print designers to continue to work in this old-fashioned genre. No other print maker of this period chronicled theater culture to the same degree or intensity as did Kunichika. An avid fan of the theater, Kunichika spent many evenings backstage, drinking and socializing with the actors. Popular accounts of the time describe Kunichika’s life as revolving around three things: print making, drinking, and Kabuki.
This print series appears to have been based on a Kabuki play entitled Tenpo Suikoden that was first staged in 1844. The play chronicles a historical conflict between two families in Chiba province. The title of this print series, Kinsei Suikoden or A Modern Tale of the Water Margin, refers to a Chinese novel entitled Shuihu zhuan. However, the use of the term kinsei or modern is used to update the story and give is a Japanese setting. The original Chinese story takes place during the Northern Song period (10th century) and follows the heroic exploits of a group of outlaws. In Japan, the story gained great popularity during the nineteenth century when numerous illustrated editions and related print series were published for mass consumption. Filled with episodes of bravery, graphic violence, and the supernatural, the story had great popular appeal.
