"Kiku's Shadows" (1860) is an early Yoshitoshi print depicting a scene of nocturnal mystery or supernatural encounter, the title suggesting shadows cast by chrysanthemum plants under moonlight—a scene associated in Japanese lore with the apparition of ghosts who linger among the chrysanthemums they loved in life. Produced during Yoshitoshi's earliest independent period, the print shows his precocious interest in atmospheric tension and the interplay of light and shadow that would define his mature work in the moonlight series.
1888
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Color woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kiku's Shadows was created by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) in 1860, 7th lunar month.
Kiku's Shadows depicts mythology, moonlight, and night scenes.
Kiku's Shadows measures 36 × 24.5 cm (Oban format).
