About the artist
Shoso Mishima was a nihonga painter and print designer active during the Meiji period. Born in Edo, Shoso began his artistic training in Maruyama-Shijo School painting. As the student of Yosai Kikuchi, Shoso focused principally on figural, historical scenes. He also produced kacho-e (bird and flower pictures) and a ceiling painting within the Imperial Palace. Shoso’s introduction to illustration and print design came through Seitei Watanabe, a friend of Yosai Kikuchi. Shoso became an active kuchi-e (frontispiece illustration) artist, working mainly with the publisher Shun’yodo. His works appeared in fourteen issues of the monthly literary magazine Bungei Kurabu (Literary Club) and numerous books. In addition to kuchi-e, Shoso completed a series of floral prints, as well some kaika-e (enlightenment pictures) and children’s prints. Shoso was an avid admirer of the ukiyo-e master Sharaku and amassed an impressive collection of Sharaku’s rare designs. Sadly, Shoso’s collection was lost in a fire.