Yoshitoshi: Saigo Takamori Fighting in Lightning Storm On Horseback (Sold)

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Title: A Chronicle of the War in the South-West (Seinen sentoki)
Date: 1877

Dramatic triptych of Saigo Takamori doing battle on horseback. Rain is falling in white streaks and lightning strikes the ground in the distance. He is front and center, his horse is in full gallop and his old military uniform is replete with gold braid and the medals from his former military career. In 1877 the samurai Saigo Takamori led the Satsuma Rebellion against the central Meiji government. It was also called the Seinen war, or the war in the southwest. He was a revered figure in Japan, and the rebellion failed, causing the loss of thousands of rebel fighters and government soldiers. It is well documented that Yoshitoshi’s sympathies were with the rebel samurai and their doomed struggle with imperial forces. He employed a unique style for works from 1877, one that was quite different from his style both before and after this period.

Condition: Excellent impression and color; very good condition. Horizontal center fold that is difficult to see from the front. Untrimmed and unbacked.
Dimensions: ôban triptych (37 x 75 cm)
Literature: Keyes number 358.
Signature: --Taiso Yoshitoshi--

SKU: YOT776