A master of late ukiyo-e and one of the most innovative artists of the Meiji era, Yoshitoshi is celebrated for his dramatic compositions, psychological depth, and technical refinement. A pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, he began his career in the 1850s and worked through Japan’s turbulent transition from Edo to Meiji. His prints explore themes of heroism, beauty, folklore, and violence, blending traditional woodblock aesthetics with a modern sensibility. Major series include One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi, 1885–1892), New Forms of Thirty-six Ghosts (Shinkei Sanjūrokkaisen, 1889–1892), and Twenty-eight Famous Murders with Verse (Eimei nijūhasshūku, 1866–1869). Though he faced hardship and mental illness later in life, Yoshitoshi’s work marked the final flowering of ukiyo-e and influenced generations of modern Japanese artists.
TSUKIOKA YOSHITOSHI
SESON TEMPLE MOON, CAPTAIN YOSHITAKA, 1888
Color woodblock print on paper
Vertical Oban 36.2 x 24.8 cm