The Miracle of Famous Paintings by Ukiyo Matahei

One of the many subplots in the puppet play Keisei hangonko_ (The Beauty Whose Spirit Appears in the Incense Smoke), first performed in 1708, involves a certain Matahei who is credited with having created the O_tsu-e style of folk painting (examples on view in this gallery). When Matahei is about to be arrested on false charges, the subjects of his paintings magically come to life and defend him. Here, an astonished Matahei peers up as his creations. Utagawa Kuniyoshi, who created this design, included all ten O_tsu-e themes--the standard repertoire of O_tsu-e artists after the turn of the nineteenth century.