Buffalo and Herdsman 1877 - 1897

Kawanabe Kyōsai created this ink-on-paper painting titled, "Buffalo and Herdsman," a glimpse into rural life in late 19th-century Japan. The image depicts the everyday scene of several young herdsmen guiding a herd of buffalo across a shallow river, with a large weeping willow watching over them. Kyōsai, working during the tumultuous transition from the Edo to the Meiji period, was uniquely positioned to comment on the social structures of his time. Japan was emerging from centuries of feudalism and isolation, rapidly modernizing and Westernizing. Kyōsai, trained in traditional Japanese art, incorporated Western techniques like perspective, whilst producing caricatures and satirical commentary on the changing social landscape. The choice of subject, too, is meaningful. Buffalo were essential for agriculture, and perhaps, Kyōsai makes an implicit reference to the agrarian roots of Japanese society. We can see how Kyōsai used his art not just to depict reality, but to comment on the transformation of Japanese society. As historians, the artwork acts as a portal, giving us access into the heart of a changing culture.