Ikuhide Kobayashi is one of the Japanese painters and print makers whom we do not know much about. Ikuhide was the apprentice to the ukiyo-e print maker Yoshiiku Ochiai (1833-1904). Yoshiiku was one of the pioneers to evolve ukiyo-e prints into the supplements of the newspapers in the Meiji Period. It is evident he made illustrations of the Meiji Era capital. One of his most famous series is "TOKYO MEISHO NO UCHI" or "FAMOUS PLACES IN TOKYO". This serie of prints was published by Okuda Chubei in 1889. The one is curently shown here illustrates the AZUMA BASHI iron truss bridge over the Sumida-gawa river. Steam ships and iron structured bridge with the inhabitants of the Japanese capital in Western and traditional garments is the remarkable aspect of the evolution of westernization in Japan during the Meiji Period. The print is in vertical Oban format around 25 x 37 cm.
A similar example can be found on the address below:
References: http://www.artelino.com/forum/signatures.asp?art=1374&alp=i
http://www.davidrumsey.com/amico/amico531834-15356.html
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list2/108000744/
Ikuhide Kobayashi, Famous Places of Tokyo, Azuma-Bashi Bridge, 1889, vertical Oban format. Aykut Gurcaglar Collection,
Istanbul
