The Shivering Commander, from the Series, from the Series ‘Long Live Japan! One Hundred Selections, One Hundred Laughs’ 1895

Kobayashi Kiyochika made this woodblock print, part of a series meant to evoke laughter. The image features a commander on horseback, both rendered with a shivering effect, but it is the zigzag lines above the commander's head that demand our attention. This symbol, reminiscent of lightning, suggests a sudden, overwhelming force, perhaps representing fear or anxiety. Across cultures, lightning is a symbol that transcends mere weather, embodying divine power and sudden revelation. We see echoes of this in ancient Greek depictions of Zeus wielding thunderbolts or the depiction of moments of epiphany. Here, the artist cleverly inverts the symbol. The lightning doesn't emanate from the heavens but seems to originate from the commander himself, suggesting an internal turmoil. It invites us to consider the psychological weight of leadership and the personal anxieties that might underlie a facade of authority. This visual paradox engages our subconscious, reminding us that even the most stoic figures are subject to primal emotions. The motif of lightning has resurfaced, and been subverted to take on new meanings in this historical context.