（自画像）

This self-portrait (自画像) is an unusual subject for a woodblock artist and reflects the influence of Western pictorial conventions, in which the self-portrait was an established genre for demonstrating technical mastery and artistic identity. Kiyochika would likely have depicted himself in the three-quarter pose common to Western portraiture, possibly in a mixture of Meiji-era Western and Japanese dress. The technical demands of rendering a face in woodblock—capturing likeness, modeling features through graduated shading rather than line alone—would draw directly on the skills Kiyochika developed through his study of Western painting under Charles Wirgman and others. The print stands as evidence of his self-conscious positioning as a modern artist bridging two visual traditions.