Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Moon of the Lonely House"

An old woman lurks and peers into a home where a hag prepares to murder a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Unseen in the composition, the viewer is left to imagine what the old woman is witnessing. The composition builds from Yoshitoshi's most gruesome design, "The Lonely House on Adachi Moor."

Series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
Date: 1890
Size: Oban
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon
Condition: Lightly trimmed and backed; otherwise excellent color and condition
Frame Shown: 16" x 24", Classic Wood, Walnut

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's (1839-1892) Tsuki hyakushi (One Hundred Aspects of the Moon) series of woodblock prints make up some of Yoshitoshi's most recognizable and popular designs today. A number of highly influential compositions make up this series, which illustrates Chinese and Japanese history, folklore, and literature with the moon as a unifying theme. Taken as a whole, Yoshitoshi's "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon" is a masterpiece showcasing Yoshitoshi's tremendous talent as an artist and his deep sentimental connection to Japan's rich cultural history.