Artwork

Chushingura: Act X (from the series Perspective Pictures for The Treasure House of Loyalty)

Chushingura: Act X (from the series Perspective Pictures for The Treasure House of Loyalty) is a print by the Romanticist artist Kitao Masayoshi. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1985.338.10
Credit line: The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Mrs. Kelvin Smith

About this work

Overview

Chushingura: Act X is a woodblock print from the series Perspective Pictures for The Treasure House of Loyalty, created by Kitao Masayoshi around 1794. The work is part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a tumultuous nighttime battle scene outside a building. Warriors clad in red and black armor engage in combat on a wooden bridge, observed by a woman in a pink robe from an upper window, set against a star-filled dark sky with a leaning tree overhead.

Technique & Style

The composition employs strong black-and-white contrasts to emphasize the intensity of the action, leveraging chiaroscuro to create dramatic lighting effects that heighten the scene's drama through strategic use of light and shadow.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1794 by Kitao Masayoshi, the print is now held in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art.