「教導立志基」 「三十九」「物徂徠」

Number thirty-nine in the 教導立志基 (Kyōdō Risshi Ki) series, this print depicts Ogyū Sorai (荻生徂徠, 1666–1728), the influential Confucian philosopher of the Edo period who founded the Kobunjigaku (Ancient Rhetoric) school and whose political and ethical writings shaped Tokugawa intellectual discourse. Kiyochika likely shows Sorai in scholarly activity — reading, writing, or in discussion — reflecting the emphasis on Confucian learning that characterized his contribution. Sorai's biography offered a narrative of intellectual achievement despite early poverty, making him an appropriate subject for a series aimed at inspiring perseverance through historical example. The figure's dress, setting, and scholarly implements would be rendered with period specificity, while Kiyochika's line work maintains the clarity suited to a printed educational text rather than the atmospheric treatment of his landscape series.