Portret van de overleden minister Okubo Toshimichi. c. 1878

Kobayashi Kiyochika produced this woodblock print of the deceased minister Okubo Toshimichi. The print serves as a memorial, framing the somber portrait within a window adorned with lush flora. The work offers insight into the political and social climate of Meiji-era Japan. Okubo was a key figure in the Meiji Restoration, a period of rapid modernization and westernization. The choice of a woodblock print, a traditional medium, to commemorate a modernizing figure suggests a culture grappling with its identity. Western-style clothing indicates his embrace of modernity and roses were regarded as an imported species at the time. The way the print conflates traditional artistic styles, symbolic flora and western fashion reflects Japan’s complex negotiation with the West. To fully understand this image, historians consult contemporary newspapers, political pamphlets, and biographical accounts. Art like this becomes most meaningful when seen as part of its original social and institutional landscape.