One of the Ming and Qing Dynasty Painting Drafts by Kawanabe Kyōsai, Japan: Figure Scroll - The last master of traditional Ja

Ink and color on paper, 32cm x 360cm

Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831–1889), also known as Shūshūrō, was a ukiyo-e artist from the late Edo period to the Meiji era. He blended the techniques of the Kano school with the ukiyo-e style, and was renowned for his satirical drawings and depictions of yokai (supernatural beings). He began painting at the age of six, studying under Utagawa Kuniyoshi and other Kano school artists, thus developing his own style, known as the "Kōsai school." Art historian Timothy Clarke called him "the first individualist and independent painter of modern Japan, and the last master of traditional Japanese painting." His works combine humor with social critique; for example, "Fudō Myō-ō Kaika" satirized the Meiji government's Westernization policies. In 1881, his Kano-style work "The Crow" won the highest prize at the Tokyo Industrial Exposition. Although imprisoned for his satirical drawings, his reputation remained intact. In his later years, he participated in international exchanges, took on foreign students, and exhibited his works at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He is hailed as "the last master of traditional Japanese painting" and "the last yokai painter."