Kiyochika (1847 - 1915 )
Meiji period print artist Kiyochika Kobayashi grew up in a rapidly changing Japan. Born in Edo, he was the son of a minor government official. Kiyochika studied Japanese painting with Kyosai and Zeshin, as well as oil painting under the instruction of Charles Wirgman. Inspired by imported copper etchings and lithography, Kiyochika soon turned his attention to woodblock printing. He was heavily influenced by Western art and techniques. He not only explored the new world of color introduced by aniline dyes, but also delved into studies of light and shadow in his prints. As magazines and newspapers gained popularity during the Meiji Period, Kiyochika illustrated current events and military campaigns. In 1894, he opened his own school. He worked right up until his death in 1915.
Publishing his first work in 1876, Kiyochika Kobayashi’s woodblock prints would come to reflect the changing landscape of the Meiji Period, the shift from the floating world of Edo to a modern Tokyo. These works reflect the influx of Western technologies, evidenced by clock towers, railroads and horse-drawn carriages. He also completed numerous illustrations and sketches of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. These prints of the 1880s and 1890s emphasize the military prowess that defined Japan’s new nationalism. The genre of senso-e (war prints) became popular, fitting into the imperial slogan of Bunmei Kaika. Meaning “Civilization and Enlightenment,” this policy emphasized military might and booming industry as the key characteristics of a modern nation.
Meiji Period Prints (1868-1912)
Meiji-period woodblock prints reflect an era of change. In 1853, the arrival of Commodore Perry’s black ships brought over 250 years of Japanese isolation to an abrupt end. The following year, as Japan engaged in international trade, Yokohama-e (Yokohama pictures) captured an influx of unfamiliar peoples, places and things entering Japan through Yokohama harbor. By 1868, the Imperial line attained control of the country under Emperor Meiji, terminating the feudal rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate and dissipating the culture of the floating world. Under the emperor, national modernization progressed rapidly. From Western-style clothes and pastimes, to exciting new inventions from overseas, Japan absorbed the massive influx of the foreign and developed a distinctly Japanese modern identity. While photography and lithography gained popularity at this time, the woodblock print continued to serve as a powerful medium. Meiji period artists made sense of a transitioning world with a familiar medium.
16 Products
Kiyochika
Three Geisha: Kayo of Osaka, Hitosuru of Kyoto, and Kokichi of Tokyo
JPR-209987
Kiyochika
Defying a Shower of Bullets, He, Alone, Opened Hyonmu Gate
JP-96260
Kiyochika
Torpedo Fireworks at Nakasu on Sumida River
JP-111894
Kiyochika
Attack and Occupation of Denshodai (Tianzhuangtai)
JPR-106962
Kiyochika
Hurrah for the Great Victory of the Navy of Great Japan at the Naval Battle of Incheon between Japan and Russia
JP1-51188