西郷隆盛一代記 : 絵本実録
An 1888 Japanese illustrated biography of the samurai leader Saigo Takamori, published in Tokyo by Yamaguchi Kikichi for a general reading public. The woodblock-style pictures show a seated commander with attendants, a battle scene of swordsmen in ranks, and a shaded oval portrait bust of Saigo. A designer could take from them the bold contrast of black ink hatching against white, the framed oval portrait format, and the dynamic crowded composition of action figures.
