By Request, Picture of Fujiwara Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight, a Painting Shown at the Exhibition for the Advancement of Painting in Autumn 1882

This February 1883 print reproduces a painted composition that Yoshitoshi had exhibited at the Exhibition for the Advancement of Painting in autumn 1882, depicting Fujiwara no Yasumasa playing his flute by moonlight while the bandit Hakamadare follows at a respectful distance, disarmed by the music's beauty. The title indicates this was a woodblock reproduction "by request" of the painting, suggesting the original attracted considerable attention at the exhibition. The moonlit autumn composition links classical music, aristocratic culture, and the moonlight that would become central to Yoshitoshi's greatest series.