Ukiyo-e of the Late Edo and Meiji Periods

In January exactly 150 years ago, the Meiji Emperor officially declared the restoration of imperial rule in Japan, marking the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of Japan's modernisation rush. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 eventually came to impact all of society, ushering in rapid change – and Westernisation – in fields from military organisation to fine art. 'Ukiyo-e of the Late Edo and Meiji Periods' explores the revolution's impact on ukiyo-e prints, a genre that both embraced and parodied the brave new Japan that was to emerge from the ashes of civil war. Around 150 pieces, including work by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka and Kiyochika Kobayashi, will be displayed across the exhibition's two parts (January 5-28 and February 2-25).