月岡芳年画 「清盛入道布引滝遊覧 悪源太義平霊討難波次郎」|The Spirit of Akugenta Yoshihira Strikes Nanba Jirō during Kiyomori’s Visit to Nunobiki Waterfall

Yoshitoshi employs bold, black contour lines and vivid color blocks to isolate the leaping specter against a storm‑filled sky. The contrast of bright pigments with the dark background heightens the sense of movement, while the intricate rendering of rocks, water, and a wooden bridge anchors the fantastical figure in a recognizable landscape.

Created in the tumultuous years of the Meiji Restoration, the print was produced as part of a series of illustrated books that blended historical legend with popular folklore. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings through a 20th‑century acquisition of Japanese prints, where it remains on view as an example of Yoshitoshi’s late career output.

The work belongs to the ukiyo‑e tradition of narrative prints that flourished in the late 19th century, a period when artists like Yoshitoshi responded to shifting social conditions by dramatizing historical episodes and ghost stories. The depiction of Kiyomori’s visit to Nunobiki Waterfall ties the image to the famed Heian‑era figure Taira no Kiyomori, linking past political intrigue with supernatural retribution.