Mizuno Toshikata

Mizuno Toshikata was an artist primarily active between 1866 and 1895. The artist’s documented output heavily features prints and illustrations addressing diverse subject matter, ranging from historical and military narratives to genre scenes and studies of female beauty.

Toshikata’s engagement with martial themes is evident in works such as Vice Admiral Ito Mocks, Points and Looks at the Enemy Bullets and the detailed historical print Sasaki Moritsuna Asking Fisherman to Reveal the Shallows Where His Troops can Cross and Attack the Taira Forces at Fujito in Bizen Province. The artist also focused on individualized character studies, including the portrait Sakamoto Otasuku, and contributions to series, such as Noblewomen of the Tokugawa Period; Thirty-six Beauties (Sanjuroko kasensoro. Other documented works capture elements of daily life, exemplified by the illustration The Eel Master (Unagi danna), from Bugei Kurabu (Literary Club).

Mizuno Toshikata’s significance is established through the representation of the artist’s work in major North American institutions. Fifteen prints are held across prominent collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. These holdings provide primary documentation of the artist’s active period. Today, select works, often released into the public domain, are utilized as sources for high-quality prints, allowing the continued study and appreciation of Mizuno Toshikata prints outside of institutional settings.