Lady Kido Suikōin
1887
Step into the Meiji era with this bold 1887 woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, often called the last great master of ukiyo-e. The figure, identified as Lady Kido Suikōin, stands in a magnificent teal kimono patterned with chrysanthemums, but the real shocker is the pair of samurai swords tucked into her sash—a defiant nod to the old warrior class just a decade after swords were banned in Japan. The massive block of text at the top isn't just decoration; it's a 'newspaper supplement' biography, showing how Yoshitoshi was trying to compete with photography by turning art into visual news. It’s a fascinating mashup of traditional beauty and modern journalism.
- Technique
- Woodblock print
- Material
- Paper and ink
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