This exhibition, composed of nearly 60 prints produced during the Meiji period (1868-1912), explores the 30-year career of the popular woodblock designer Yoshu Chikanobu. Born into a samurai family in 1838, Chikanobu was trained in military techniques as well as the arts. He was actively involved in the military events at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. Wounded and captured by the new imperial government forces, Chikanobu was released when they discovered that he was an artist. After settling in Tokyo, he dedicated himself to becoming an established artist. His enormous output of prints documents the tensions occurring in Japanese society, where ancient traditions and Western modernization were battling for the heart of Japan.

Chikanobu’s collected works include illustrations for newspapers, educational books, and advertisements for theatrical productions. His work educates audiences through social history where the subject matter showcases current events of the era, public figures, and private moments of the Meiji period.

Plunging into the modern age with drama and bloodshed, artists such as Chikanobu were inspired by Japan’s complicated entry into the modern age. The constant struggle to maintain a balance between traditional Japan and modernization is a theme that is evident in Chikanobu’s work. While his earlier work celebrates the modernization of Japan, it is apparent that in the end, his collection begins to focus on nostalgic reflections of a former way of life.

The Blakemore Foundation, the Japan Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies funded the exhibition and the accompanying catalogue.