The "Prologue" sheet belongs to Yoshitoshi's early Chushingura series of 1860, setting the stage for the dramatic events that would unfold across the subsequent acts. Produced when Yoshitoshi was just twenty-one years old, still a student of Kuniyoshi's workshop conventions, the prologue establishes the historical setting of the forty-seven ronin tale with theatrical formality. Even at this early stage, his compositional instincts—the placement of figures, the use of negative space—show promise beyond the journeyman level.



1888
Color woodblock print; oban

n.d.
Color woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Prologue was created by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) in 1860, 4th lunar month.
Prologue depicts figures, kabuki, and warriors.
Prologue measures 15.7 × 23.3 cm (Oban format).