Tsukushima Masamori Fighting Kyōsokabe Yatarō 1865

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi made this woodblock print showing Tsukushima Masamori fighting Kyōsokabe Yatarō. It comes from a series entitled "A Mirror of the Renowned Warriors of Japan." Yoshitoshi produced this print in Japan during the Meiji period, a time when the country was rapidly modernizing and opening up to Western influences. Woodblock prints, which had previously been a dominant art form, now competed with photography and Western-style painting. At the same time, there was also growing interest in preserving Japanese traditions, especially military stories, myths and legends. Yoshitoshi responded to the changing artistic and cultural landscape by blending traditional techniques with new subjects and styles. In this print, we can see that Yoshitoshi draws on traditional tales of samurai and warriors, a potent image for national identity. Understanding these woodblock prints requires us to consult a range of historical sources, including period texts, military records, and popular literature. By examining the social and institutional contexts in which they were made, we can better appreciate the artistic achievement.