kawanabe-kyosai

A woodblock print bearing the artist's name as its primary subject, likely a frontispiece or artist's portrait print used for presentation or publication. Kyosai was a public figure whose name and persona were themselves subjects of popular fascination in Meiji Japan — he cultivated a reputation as the "demon of painting" (Gaki), and images associating his name with his wild creative energy circulated widely. Even such self-referential works carry the density and confidence that characterize everything that passed through his hands.