Meiji/Taishō Prints

Meiji and Taishō era prints (1868–1926) bridge the transition from traditional ukiyo-e to the modern shin-hanga and sosaku-hanga movements. During this period, Japan underwent rapid modernization and Westernization, profoundly affecting the visual arts. Artists working in this transitional era experimented with Western techniques such as perspective, shading, and oil painting while often maintaining connections to traditional woodblock printmaking. Key figures include Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who brought ukiyo-e to its dramatic culmination; Kobayashi Kiyochika, who pioneered light-and-shadow effects in prints; and Uemura Shoen, whose refined bijin-ga paintings influenced generations of later printmakers. The era also saw the emergence of the sōsaku-hanga ideal through Kanae Yamamoto''s 1904 "Fisherman," widely considered the first modern creative print.

The Meiji/Taishō Prints movement was active from approximately 1868 to 1926.

Notable Meiji/Taishō Prints artists include Suga Tatehiko, Kawanabe Kyosai, Toyohara Chikanobu, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Kobayashi Kiyochika, and 11 more.

Meiji and Taishō era prints (1868–1926) bridge the transition from traditional ukiyo-e to the modern shin-hanga and sosaku-hanga movements. During this period, Japan underwent rapid modernization and Westernization, profoundly affecting the visual arts. Artists working in this transitional era experimented with Western techniques such as perspective, shading, and oil painting while often maintaining connections to traditional woodblock printmaking. Key figures include Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who brought ukiyo-e to its dramatic culmination; Kobayashi Kiyochika, who pioneered light-and-shadow effects in prints; and Uemura Shoen, whose refined bijin-ga paintings influenced generations of later printmakers. The era also saw the emergence of the sōsaku-hanga ideal through Kanae Yamamoto''s 1904 "Fisherman," widely considered the first modern creative print.