Origins & Early Life

Shibata Zeshin (柴田 是真; March 15, 1807 – July 13, 1891) was a Japanese lacquer painter and print artist of the late Edo period and early Meiji era. He has been called "Japan's greatest lacquerer", but his reputation as painter and print artist is more complex: In Japan, he is known as both too modern, a panderer to the Westernization movement, and also an overly conservative traditionalist who did nothing to stand out from his contemporaries. Despite holding this complicated reputation in Japan, Zeshin has come to be well regarded and much studied among the art world of the West, in Britain and the United States in particular. Zeshin was born and raised in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His grandfather Izumi Chobei and his father Ichigoro were shrine carpenters (miyadaiku) and skilled wood carvers. His father, who had taken his wife's family name of Shibata, was also an experienced ukiyo-e painter, having studied under Katsukawa Shunshō. This, of course, gave him an excellent start on the road to being an artist and craftsman. At age eleven, Kametaro, as Zeshin was called in his childhood, became apprenticed to a lacquerer named Koma Kansai II. At age 13, the young man who...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Angelica Kauffman — Contemporary (Died in 1807) (1807): Swiss history painter renowned for her successful careers in London and Rome.
• Giuseppe Garibaldi — Contemporary (Born in 1807) (1807): Italian general and revolutionary key figure in the Unification of Italy (Risorgimento)
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — Contemporary (Born in 1807) (1807): Celebrated American poet and educator, known for 'Paul Revere's Ride' and 'Hiawatha'.
• Antonio Gramsci — Contemporary (Born in 1891) (1891): Italian Marxist philosopher known for his theory of cultural hegemony.
• Arthur Rimbaud — Contemporary (Died in 1891) (1891): Transgressive French poet whose work profoundly influenced modern literature and surrealism.
• B. R. Ambedkar — Contemporary (Born in 1891) (1891): Pioneering jurist, economist, and social reformer who shaped modern India.
• Abe Saperstein — Shared historical date (03-15 · Died) (1966): Founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, revolutionized black basketball.
• Alia Bhatt — Shared historical date (03-15 · Born) (1993): Acclaimed British-Indian actress known for versatile roles in Hindi cinema.
• Aisha — Shared historical date (07-13 · Died) (678): Prominent scholar and political figure in early Islam, wife of Prophet Muhammad.
• Arnold Schoenberg — Shared historical date (07-13 · Died) (1951): Modernist composer who pioneered atonality and the twelve-tone technique.
• 1807 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1807
• March 15 (03-15) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 15
• 1891 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1891
• July 13 (07-13) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on July 13