Charles Wirgman
Encyclopedia
Charles Wirgman was an English artist and cartoonist
, the creator of the Japan Punch and illustrator in China
and Meiji period
Japan
for the Illustrated London News
.
Wirgman was the eldest son of Ferdinand Charles Wirgman (1806-57) and brother of Theodore Blake Wirgman
.
Wirgman arrived in Japan in 1861 as a correspondent for the Illustrated London News, and resided in Yokohama
from 1861 until his death. He published the first magazine in Japan, the Japan Punch, monthly between 1862 and spring 1887. The magazine was written in a humorous, often satirical manner, and was illustrated with Wirgman’s cartoons.
Wirgman formed a partnership called “Beato & Wirgman, Artists and Photographers” with Felice Beato
from 1864–1867. Wirgman again produced illustrations derived from Beato's photographs while Beato photographed some of Wirgman's sketches and other works
Wirgman also taught western-style drawing and painting techniques to a number of Japanese artists, notably the ukiyo-e
artist Kobayashi Korechika.
In the 1860s, he accompanied British envoy Sir Ernest Satow on a number of journeys around Japan as described in Satow's Diplomat in Japan.
Wirgman's grave is in the Yokohama international cemetery.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, the creator of the Japan Punch and illustrator in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for the Illustrated London News
Illustrated London News
The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...
.
Wirgman was the eldest son of Ferdinand Charles Wirgman (1806-57) and brother of Theodore Blake Wirgman
Theodore Blake Wirgman
Theodore Blake Wirgman was an English painter and etcher who moved to London, studied at the Royal Academy schools, became a painter of history and genre subjects, and worked as a portrait artist for The Graphic....
.
Wirgman arrived in Japan in 1861 as a correspondent for the Illustrated London News, and resided in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
from 1861 until his death. He published the first magazine in Japan, the Japan Punch, monthly between 1862 and spring 1887. The magazine was written in a humorous, often satirical manner, and was illustrated with Wirgman’s cartoons.
Wirgman formed a partnership called “Beato & Wirgman, Artists and Photographers” with Felice Beato
Felice Beato
Felice Beato , also known as Felix Beato, was an Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first war photographers. He is noted for his genre works, portraits, and views and panoramas of the architecture and landscapes of Asia and...
from 1864–1867. Wirgman again produced illustrations derived from Beato's photographs while Beato photographed some of Wirgman's sketches and other works
Wirgman also taught western-style drawing and painting techniques to a number of Japanese artists, notably the ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
artist Kobayashi Korechika.
In the 1860s, he accompanied British envoy Sir Ernest Satow on a number of journeys around Japan as described in Satow's Diplomat in Japan.
Wirgman's grave is in the Yokohama international cemetery.
External links
- Japan and the Illustrated London News - lecture to the Japan Society by Terry Bennett.