Original woodblock print triptych - Paper - Utagawa Yoshimune (1817-1880) - “Benzaiten kaichō gunshū no zu” 辨財天開帳群集之図 (Crowds Arriving to View the Exhibition at the Benzaiten Shrine) - Japan - 1856 (Ansei 3) Good condition, trimmed margins, some spots For another portrayal of the same subject by Hiroshige see British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_OA-0-46 This Ukiyo-e prints were drawn by Utagawa Yoshimune I. Utagawa Yoshimune was expelled by his master Utagawa Kuniyoshi more than ten times, likely due to his unconventional and rebellious nature. However, it is believed that Kuniyoshi forgave him because of his skill in painting. Yoshimune was talented enough to be entrusted with coloring Kuniyoshi's hand-painted works. The scene depicted shows a lively atmosphere with people gathering for the "Kaicho" event, where various stalls are set up and people come to enjoy sightseeing and shopping. Kaicho is one of the familiar events for the people of Edo. The signature says “Issyousai yoshimune e”一松斎芳宗画”. Utagawa Yoshimune is good at samurai painting, and the technique is inherited by Utagawa Yoshimune II. Utagawa Yoshimune I(memo) A disciple of Kuniyoshi Utagawa. His real surname is Kashima and his first name is Matsugoro. and also used the surname Ichi Syou sai(一枩斎、一松斎). He was born as a child of Edo carpenter Tadazo Hayashi, but he himself named Kashima’s surname. In the 6th year of Tenpo (1835), he became a disciple of Kuniyoshi at the age of 19, and his drawing period was around Bunkyu, and he painted warrior paintings, timely paintings, actor paintings, and beauty paintings. He is well-colored and assists many of his (Kuniyoshi)master’s works.His personality was light-hearted, and it was said that he was excommunicated by touching his teacher’s anger more than ten times, but each time he returned to Kuniyoshi’s permission, the teacher-apprentice relationship continued until Yoshimune’s later years. He accidentally fell into a well and died at the end. He is 64 years old. .. His disciples include Munemasa, Munehisa, Munesei, Munekane, and Munemasa. His family is blessed with 11 children, and his youngest child, Shujiro, was introduced to Yoshitoshi Tsukioka and is called Toshiyuki Arai(Utagawa Yoshimune Ⅱ).