Picture of Octopus Ukiyo-e

Origin Story

The painter Yoshu Chikanobu was inspired by Japanese mythologies to create his famous octopus ukiyo-e. He had imagined a strange world where human beings and animals mingled in perfect harmony.

One day, while he was working on his painting, he was interrupted by a noise coming from the back of the room. Intrigued, he decided to go see what was going on and found in the back of the room a large giant octopus that seemed to be staring at him. Yoshu couldn't believe his eyes! The octopus was so beautiful and so majestic that he couldn't help but paint it immediately.

With incredible precision, he captured every detail of the magnificent animal: its shiny shell, its gracefully wavy tentacles, and its head with intelligent eyes that seemed to understand everything Yoshu was saying. The canvas finished, Yoshu savored his work with pride and admiration; it perfectly represented the mystery and magic of the sea depths that only the bravest dare to explore.