The Murder of Shin, the Teacher’s Daughter, in Honjo
1875
Yoshitoshi wasn't just making pretty pictures of geishas; he was basically the tabloid journalist of the Meiji era. This gruesome woodblock print comes from his 'Yubin Hochi Shimbun' (Postal Daily Newspaper) series, designed to compete with newly emerging text-based newspapers by illustrating sensational crimes. Here, we see a violent home invasion where two thugs are murdering a woman named Shin, with blood spurting dramatically across the room. The large block of text at the top actually narrates the gruesome details of the real-life event, making this a fascinating, bloody precursor to modern photojournalism.
- Technique
- Woodblock print
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