Ogata Gekkō - Rat Attacks a Cat

Ogata Gekkō (1859–1920)

Publisher: Takekawa Risaburō (Chikusendō)
Size: Oban
Date : 1887
Genre: Ukiyo-e
Medium: Woodblock Print

Rat Attacks a Cat. The Rat, the Black Stone of Mutsu Province, and the Cat of Jōkyō-ji Temple (Nezumi, Rikushū kuroishi, Jōkyō-ji no neko), from the series Gekkō's Miscellany (Gekkō zuihitsu). Poem by Issaan Uro.

Ogata Gekkō (1859–1920) was a prominent Japanese painter, illustrator, and woodblock print designer of the Meiji period. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo), Gekkō was largely self-taught, beginning his career decorating ceramics and rickshaws and producing commercial illustrations. Around 1881, he adopted the surname Ogata, reportedly at the suggestion of a descendant of the celebrated painter Ogata Kōrin, and soon established himself as a successful designer of prints, books, and newspaper illustrations.

Gekkō worked during a period of rapid modernization and developed a distinctive style that combined traditional Japanese painting with the changing visual culture of Meiji Japan. His subjects ranged from historical and literary scenes to contemporary events, landscapes, beautiful women, and Japan's military conflicts. His prints are particularly recognizable for their painterly quality, subtle modeling, and softer linework, distinguishing them from the more conventional Utagawa-school style of many of his contemporaries.

Gekkō achieved considerable recognition during his lifetime, exhibiting both in Japan and internationally, including at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Active in important artistic organizations of the period, he worked across painting, illustration, and printmaking until his death in 1920. His work today provides an important bridge between the traditions of nineteenth-century ukiyo-e and the emerging modern Japanese art movements of the early twentieth century.

Condition: Very good condition, minor fading.

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/643483/