Sketch of Horses — 群馬図

Rendered in the oban format, this print depicts horses in various poses studied directly from observation, reflecting Kiyochika's sustained interest in Western-influenced naturalistic drawing. The title 群馬図 (Gunma-zu, literally 'picture of a group of horses') suggests a compositional grouping rather than a narrative scene, aligning the work with the sketching practice Kiyochika cultivated under Western-trained teachers including the English artist Charles Wirgman. The horses are rendered with attention to musculature and posture unusual in the woodblock tradition, where horses more commonly appeared as stylized elements in battle or procession scenes. Kiyochika's treatment integrates the observational mode of Western academic study with the linear economy of the woodblock medium, producing forms that retain the distinctive ink quality of the cut block while conveying three-dimensional presence through careful shading.