Escape of Emperor Godaigo, from the series "The Unofficial History of Japan (Nihon gaishi no uchi)"

This 1885 oban triptych from the Nihon gaishi no uchi ("Unofficial History of Japan") series depicts Emperor Go-Daigo's dramatic escape from Oki Island in 1333, when the exiled emperor fled his Kamakura captivity to raise a rebellion that briefly restored imperial rule. Kiyochika renders the escape by boat at night — figures crouching in the bow while oarsmen pull hard for the mainland. The Nihon gaishi series gave Kiyochika the opportunity to apply his lighting mastery to historical subjects, the nocturnal escape scene perfectly suiting his atmospheric technique.