Toshihide (1862 - 1925 )
Toshihide Migita initially worked under the name Toyohiko. He started off his career under the guidance of the Western-style painter Kunisawa Shikuro. In 1877, Toshihide began to study Japanese woodblock printmaking under Yoshitoshi. Toshihide’s best work is seen in his prints of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars. These designs stand out from the work of his contemporaries, as Toshihide did turn to caricature, but granted the Chinese and Russian soldiers dignity. He also produced a very well-received series called Twelve Aspects of Beautiful Women in 1901. This series reflected the influence of Yoshitoshi, Toshihide Migita's teacher, and Yoshitoshi's similar 1888 series Thirty-Two Aspects of Women.
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.
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