Dragonfly and chickens, 1880

An unusual departure into kacho-e (flower-and-bird) style, this 1880 woodblock print pairs a dragonfly — rendered with entomological precision — with a cluster of domestic chickens in a farmyard setting. The combination of careful natural observation and decorative composition reflects the broad range of Kiyochika's output beyond his famous cityscapes and war prints. Meiji-era publishers encouraged versatile artists to produce seasonal imagery for the greeting-card and calendar market, and works like this met that demand.