Kawanabe Kyōsai

Kawanabe Kyosai (1831 – 1889) was a Japanese painter active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era. He studied ukiyoe under Utagawa Kuniyoshi and was also introduced to the Kano school, where he learned the traditional style of painting of the Kano school. He developed a diverse world of artwork while cultivating friendships and relationships with a wide range of people, including temples and shrines, publishers and publishers, ryotei (traditional Japanese-style restaurants), long-established stores, Noh and Kabuki theaters, as well as with painters and foreigners living and working in Japan at the time. A rebellious spirit, he sometimes sharpened his criticism of the system and left behind many caricatures and caricatures.