Preparatory Drawing for a Print Of Japanese Emperors and Empresses

A preparatory drawing for a print depicting Japanese emperors and empresses — one of the working documents that preceded Chikanobu's finished prints on the subject of imperial genealogy and court history. Preparatory drawings reveal the research and compositional thinking that went into Chikanobu's historical series: the careful rendering of historical costume, the arrangement of multiple figures across a composition, and the balancing of historical accuracy with visual appeal. Such drawings are rare documentary evidence of his working method.