Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892)

This monumental series was produced by Yoshitoshi at the peak of his artistic maturity and is widely considered to be his most successful creation. The series of 100 prints covers an astoundingly wide-ranging number of subjects drawn from Japanese and Chinese history and literature, Kabuki and Noh theatre, linked only by the moon which is present in each print. Although there is a tranquillity to the series, there is a hauntingly beautiful undercurrent running throughout. It is said that collectors at the time would queue from before dawn to buy each new design as it was released, but still found that the edition sold out. See https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/yoshitoshi/series/Moon.html

Impressions of all designs are in many museum collections including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (go to www.mfa.org/collections), the British Museum (go to www.britishmuseum.org/research) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (go to www.metmuseum.org/collection).