Yōshū Chikanobu
1884
Donated by the Homma family
This piece portrays the horse races at Shinobazu Pond in Ueno, which were first held in 1884. At the first exhibition, the Meiji emperor was in attendance, and fireworks were launched in celebration.
Yōshū Chikanobu (1838-1912) was an ukiyo-e painter of the Meiji era, and a follower of Toyohara Kunichika. Initially learning under Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Utagawa Kunisada, he subsequently became the top pupil of Toyohara Kunichika. Yōshū was skilled at creating bijin-ga, and in addition to depicting the manners of the Meiji era, he also painted many scenes depicting the atmosphere of the Tokugawa period, including the “Tokugawa Inner Palace” series.