Born in Edo, Kobayashi Kiyochika (18471915) spent his youth during a time of major transition for Japan. From a samurai family, his interest in drawing led to the creation of a series of woodblock prints in 1876 depicting Tokyo and its great transformations.
They reflect Kiyochikas awareness of Western artistic expression using light and shadow, and inspired a new style of ukiyo-e in the Meiji period. Besides city scenes, nature and still lifes, he later created satirical images of society and illustrations of war scenes. This catalogue is published on the occasion of a retrospective exhibition featuring 300 woodblock prints, paintings, and drawings by the last great ukiyo-e master.
