Zeshin (1807 - 1891 )
Born in Edo, Zeshin Shibata (né Kametaro Shibata) was the son of a sculptor. At the age of 11, he began to apprentice in a lacquer workshop. As his artistic pursuits transitioned to painting, Zeshin studied under Nanrei, before moving to Kyoto and the tutelage of Toyohiko Okamoto. Zeshin Shibata continued his training in lacquer under Koma Kansai II to become one of the greatest Japanese lacquer painters of the 19th century. Zeshin’s lacquer experience is evident through his mastery of urushi-e (woodblock prints with a lacquer-like surface effect), as well as his Shijo-style paintings. As a printmaker, he explored natural subjects, Japanese legends, and history. Though the shift from the Edo to the Meiji period proved a tumultuous transition for Japan, Zeshin remained steady in his work. In 1875, he served as the official representative of Japan at an exhibition in Vienna, and again in Philadelphia in 1876. By the end of his life, Zeshin belonged to the Imperial Art Academy and was an appointed member of the Art Committee of the Imperial Household (1890).
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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