Chikanobu: Modernity and Nostalgia in Japanese Prints

Yoshu Chikanobu (1838–1912) was a popular artist in the Meiji period, the era from 1868 to 1912 when Japan underwent rapid westernization and the emperor was reinstated as ruler. Like many other print designers of these years, Chikanobu worked with subjects of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, such as actors, courtesans, famous sites, and beautiful women, while at first reflecting western conventions in art and picturing current events, such as the Saigo Rebellion. However, he later changed his approach and embraced more traditional themes stemming from his recollections of life in old Edo, before the modern period ushered in by the Meiji emperor.  This groundbreaking exhibition on the artist was organized by Bruce A. Coats, a Professor of Art History and the Humanities at Scripps College in Claremont, California, and travels throughout the United States and concludes in Japan. The extensive catalogue features new research in an overview essay and chronological surveys of his prints by Professor Coats along with additional essays by Joshua S. Mostow, Allen Hockley, and Kyoko Kurita. The publication also includes a short introduction, acknowledgements, selected bibliography, and index.