Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, Lin Chong and Lu Qian, Snow Scene

Artist: Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (1839-1892)
Title: Lin Chong Kills Officer Lu Qian Near the Temple of the Mountain Spirit
Publisher: Matsui Eikichi
Date: 1886
Dimensions: Top: 25.8 x 38.0 cm; Bottom: 25.7 x 38.3
Condition: Light creases around the margins. Deeper crease and a small hole at the top of the bottom panel. Small hole on the edge of the top panel. Minor spots. Slightly oxidised on the fire area.
In the late 1880s Yoshitoshi designed a series of vertical diptychs that became some of the most outstanding examples of his work. The dynamic and dramatic setting of his characters, as well as the fine printing and subject choice are proof of Yoshitoshi's passion for the unusual, the obscure and mythological.
This print shows Lin Chong, a fictional character from 'Suikoden' (Water Margin), a 14th century Chinese novel about 108 rebels and heroic bandits residing at Liangshan Marsh. The story has been very popular in Japan since the Edo period for its political implications. The characters were outlaws and brigands, seen as men of honour who would rebel against bureaucracy, a Robin-Hood-like band that made the story of a revolutionary novel with implications resenting the authority of the time.
Lin Chong is one of the rebels and is described as having piercing eyes and a distinctive appearance that earned him the nickname 'Panther Head'. In some records, he is said to have been tattooed on the face and exiled to Cangzhou. While in prison, he is assigned to be a solo watchman at a fodder depot, however, this turns out to be a plot devised by an old enemy, Gao Qiu, who wishes him dead. During the night, the depot is purposely set on fire. However, Lin Chong has earlier gone out to buy wine and upon his return, he finds the hut collapsed under the weight of snow. Enraged, he manages to find and kill the culprits, offering their heads to a nearby temple. Soon after this incident, he joins the bands of outlaws Liangshan Marsh.
The clothes of the characters are printed with lacquer on the black areas. White gofun pigment is sprayed on the print to mimic falling snow. The scene depicted is right after the battle, the victim stabbed in the snow and the hut still burning in the background. Despite the dramatic event, Lin Chong looks pleased, having just served justice to the ones that have lured him into a trap.
Ref: JG111916